Full text of "The antimension in the liturgical and canonical tradition of the Byzantine and Latin churches : an inter-ritual inter-confessional study"

See other formats

The Anlimension in [he Liturgical and Canonical
Tradition of [he Byzantine and Latin Churches

An Infer- rifual Inier- confessional Study

Right Rev. Archimandrite Januarius M. Izzo, o.f.m., m.a., j.c.d.

Pontificium Athenaeum Antonianum
Romae, 1975

Fr. Archimandrite JANUARIUS iZZO,O.RAl
Marian Manor Nursing Home
130 Dorchester Street
Boston, MA 02127-2642

The Anfimension in [he Liturgical and Canonical
. Tradition of fhe Byzantine and Latin Churches

An Infer- ritual Inrer- confessional Study

Right Rev. Archimandrite Januarius M. Izzo, o.f.m., m.a., j.c.d.

Pontificium Athenaeum Antonianum
Romae, 1975

VIDIMUS ET APPROBAMUS :

R. P. Salvator Peperoni, ofm., Patronus
P. P. Gulielmus O' Connell, ofm., Censor
R. P. Antonius Domingues de Sousa Costa, ofm., Censor

Romae, ex aedibus Pontificii Athenaei Antoniani
26 Iunii 1968

NIHIL OBSTAT :

Very Rev. John Marie Cassese, ofm.,
Minister Provincial s

New York, U.S.A.
February 24, 1975

IMPRIMATUR :

Fr. Iulius Mancini, ofm.,
Min. Prov.lis

ac Basilicae Patr. Portiunculae Delegatus

S. Mariae Angelorum in Portiuncula die 2 augusti 1975

TIPOGRAFIA PORZIUNCOLA - SANTA MARIA DEGLI AN GEL I - ASSISI (ITALIA)

DEDICATED
TO

MY PARENTS,
CONFRERES AND FRIENDS

PREFACE

In selecting the topic of the antimension, I was influenced by pastoral
work done in both the Latin and Byzantine Rites in circumstances where I
had occasion to use, and to provide for the missionaries of my beloved Pro-
vince of the Immaculate Conception, both the Byzantine and Latin forms of
antimensia. When I looked into the literature bearing upon this useful
liturgical furnishing, I found that almost nothing had been written in En-
glish, and that very little comparative study had been done, especially from
the canonical point of view (as indeed there are very few interritual compa-
rative studies extent in the fields of Western and Eastern canon law).

With the new spur given to the study of the institutions of the Oriental
Church, as regards both our Catholic and our unfortunately still Separated
Brethren, by the Ecumenical Movement, I felt that I might contribute in
some very small way to a greater mutual understanding and appreciation
of the riches inherent in our different modes of expressing the same or very
similar traditions of worship and belief.

When examining the Western authors for the reason behind the fact
that Latin priests were allowed to use for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice
of the Mass Oriental Rite altars but never the Byzantine antimension (ca-
non 823, § 2 of the Pian-Benedictan Code of Canon Law), I was discon-
certed at some of the misconceptions under which these otherwise eminent
authorities labored. I have refrained from commenting, in general, upon
their works for two reasons : 1) it serves the purpose of truth to be positive
rather than negative in approach, and 2) it seems smug for one who delves
into a specialized field to criticize those who do great service to canonical
science by writing general works in which they must cover vast fields and
must necessarily quickly pass over points which are not of great importance
to their study. In general, one might say that the most common rnisapprehn-
sion was that the antimension is not a consecrated altar.

I was also influenced by the fact that I had been asked many times by
missionaries to explain the nature and use of the antimension, which they
adopted so commonly as a convenient form of the portable altar, and so

VIII

thought that I might benefit them and myself by acquiring some background
and knowledge in this subject.

While it is true that the ig6g Institutio Generalis Missalis Romanum,
n. 260, does not require a portable (moveable) altar when the Holy Sacrifice
of the Mass is celebrated in the Latin Rite outside of a sacred place (Church),
merely per modum actus, we will see how this is to be understood. I do not
believe that this has derrogated entirely from the usefulness of the antimen-
sion even in the Latin Rite, for although it may not be always strictly re-
quired by law to celebrate extra loca sacra on a moveable altar, still it is
the solid Christian Tradition, sanctioned by Ecumenical Councils, to do so,
and I believe it should still be done where the use of a portable altar is at all
practical. In any case, the antimension retains its perenial usefulness (and
necessity) in the Byzantine Rite.

In the citations which I have herein included, I have used two different
criteria, based on the fact that due to the technical difficulties involved I was
not able to include long quotations in Greek and in the Slavic languages
using the Cyrillic alphabet : 1) for languages using the Latin alphabet,
I have made a free translation but included the original text in the footnotes
(which for this reason are often rather lengthy) which gave me the liberty to
render the sense in an English which I hope will be more understandable ;
2) in the citations from the languages which do not use the Latin alphabet
and which I have not included in the original, I have tried to adhere as clo-
sely as possible to literal translation.

Where I have used the term Byzantine Church or Byzantine Rite,
/ mean to refer to discipline common to both Catholics and our Eastern
Orthodox Separated Brethren ; where necessary, I have specified by the
term Catholic those of the Byzantine Rite in formal and perfect communion
with the Apostolic See of Rome ; and by the term Orthodox, our Separated
Brethren of the Byzantine Rite.

The research I have found to be immensely interesting, and for the pur-
pose of seeing the Oriental altar and antimension in its proper milieu, I
travelled, through the kindness and generosity of my Very Reverend Mi-
nister Provincial, Father Matthew M. De Benedicitis, O.F.M. and of the
confreres and benefactors of my Province, through Egypt, the Holy Land,
Greece, Mount Athos, the Middle-East, the Balkans and the Soviet Union
(Russia and the Ukraine).

However, this study would never have come to any fruition at all, if
it had not been for the interest, encouragement and aid of my Reverend Pro-
fessors of the Faculty of Canon Law of the Pontificium Athenaeum Anto-
nianum, Father Anthony Domingues de Sousa Costa, O.F.M. (Dean of

the Faculty of Canon Law), Father William O'Connell, O.F.M. (Prefect
of Studies), Father Bartholomew J. Belluco, O.F.M., and Father Andre- :j
Boni, O.F.M., which I appreciate more than mere words are able to expres: .
But above all, I must thank my professor and mentor, Father Salvatore Pc-
peroni, O.F.M. of the same faculty, for his guidance, patience, many helpful
suggestions and fatherly advice.

A word of appreciation also to His Emminence Ferdinand Cardinal
Antonelli, O.F.M., Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, and
Most Rev. Vladyka Andrew Katkoff, M.I.C., Apostolic Visitator for
all the Russian Catholics outside of Russia and Ordaining Prelate for the
Byzantine Rite in Rome, and to Very Rev. Father Alphonse Raes, S.J ,
'Prefect of the Vatican Library, and the Reverend Archivists at the Sacrei
Congregations of Rites, the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches,
and the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith ; also Reverend
Father John Rezac, S.J., Secretary of the Pontifical Institute for Oriental
Studies at Rome, and Reverend Father Antony Koren, S.J., Ecclesiarch of
the Russian Byzantine Church of St. Antony at Rome and Professor of
Liturgy at the Pontifical Russian College (Russicum), Very Rev. Francis
J Muller, O.F.M., Definitor General, Very Rev. Maurice Grajewski, O.F.M.,
General Prefect of Studies, and to my Reverend Master of Student Priests,
Father Valerius Messerich, O.F.M. All have helped me by their sug-
gestions and I or facilitating my research. To all the aforementioned I owe
a grat debt of gratitude which I wish to here publicly acknowledge.

January 19/6 1975
Feast of the Theophany

Fr. Archimandrite Januarius M. Izzo, o.f.m., m.a., j.c.d.

Franciscan Province of the Immaculate Conception

147 Thompson Street

New York, New York 100 12

TRANSLITERATION OF CYRILLIC ALPHABET
INTO ROMAN CHARACTERS

Cyrillic Latin Cyrillic Latin

III

' (soft sign)

" (hard sign)

ABBREVIATIONS

AAS
'AA.SS.
CE
CIC

CIC Fontes
CICO Fonti

C.L. Digest

DACL

DDC

DTC

ERE

Goar, Euchologion
Mansi

M.G.SS.

N.C.E.

Nikolskij, Antimins
Nikolskij, Ustav
OR

Acta Apostolicae Sedis.
Acta Sanctorum.

The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907).
Codex Iuris Canonici (191 7).
Codicis Iuris Canonici Fontes.

S. Congregazione per la Chiesa Orientale, Codificazione
Canonica Orientale - Fonti.

Bouscaren, The Canon Law Digest.

Dictionnaire d' Archiologie Chretienne et de Liturgie.

Dictionnaire de Droit Canonique.

Dictionnaire de ThSologie Catholique.

Enciclopedia Italiana (Treccani).

The Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics.

Jacobus Goar, ETXOAOriON sive Rituale Graecorum.

Ioannes Dominicus Mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum Nova
et Amplissima Collectio.

Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores Rerum Me-
rovingicarum.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967).

Nikolskij, Constantine, Ob Antiminsakh Pravoslavnoi
Russkoj Cerkvi.

Nikolskij, Constantine, Posobije k izuceniju Ustava
BogosluZenija Pravoslavnoj Cerkvi.

Ordines Romani.

XII

Pedalion
Petrides,

(Cummings) The Rudder {Pedalion) (trans. D. Cummings)

DACL

Petrides, DTC

Petrides,

P.G.

P.L.

S.C.E.O.
S.C.P.F.

S.C.R.

"Antimension" Dictionnaire d'Archeologie Chritienne et
de Liturgie, torn. I, part. II, col. 2319-2326.

"Antimension" Dictionnaire de Thiologie Catholique, vol. I,
part II, col. 1389-1391.

"L'Antimension", Les Echos d'Orient III (1899) 193-202.
Migne, Patrologia Graeca.
Migne, Patrologia Latina.

The Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

The Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the
Faith (The Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization
of Peoples).

The Sacred Congregation of Rites. (The Sacred Congre-
gation for Divine Worship).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

page

Preface vn

Transliteration of Cyrillic alphabet x

Abbreviations xi

Table of contents xiii

Introduction i

I. Importance of the Study of the Antimension 2

II. The Fonts of Byzantine Canonical Discipline as Related to our

Study 3

III. Survey of Some Modern Scientific Literature on the Antimension 9

IV. Origins of the Christian Altar in Relation to the Antimension 12

A. The Mensa-Domini Tradition 13

B. Altar-Tomb of Martyr Tradition 16

PART ONE

THE ANTIMENSION IN THE LITURGICAL AND CANONICAL TRADITION
OF THE BYZANTINE CHURCH

Chapter One : The Byzantine Antimension : Concept and termi-
nology 23

Chapter Two : Historical Conspectus and Canonical Sources . . 27

Chapter Three : The outward form of the Byzantine Antimkxsion 33

I. Material and Dimensions 33

II. Ornamentation and Inscriptions 37

III. Inclusion of Relics 46

XIV

page

Chapter Four : The consecration of the Byzantine Antimension . 55

I. Minister of Consecration 55

II. Formalities of the Rite of Consecration 62

A. Occasion and Composition of the Ceremonial of Consecration 62

B. Preparations Necessary for the Consecration 65

C. The Ceremony of Consecration 69

1. During the Consecration of a Fixed Altar ...... 73

2. Apart from the Consecration of a Fixed Altar .... 76

D. Scholion : Origin and Nature of the Hallowing of the By-
zantine Antimension 78

III. Loss of Usefulness of the Antimension (Exsecration) .... 80

Chapter Five : The use of the Byzantine Antimension 103

I. Material Element (How Used) 103

A. The Antimension Used as a Portable Altar 105

B. The Antimension Used on a Consecrated Fixed Altar . . 110
II. Formal Element (Permission to Use the Antimension) 125

A. As Used by a Bishop of the Byzantine Rite 127

B. As Used by a Priest of the Byzantine Rite 128

C. The Antimension and Persons not in Major Sacred Orders 141

PART TWO

THE ANTIMENSION IN THE LITURGICAL AND CANONICAL TRADITION
. OF THE LATIN CHURCH

Section One : The Byzantine Antimension as used by Latin Rite

Clergy 147

Chapter One : Prior to the Pian-Benedictan Code of Canon Law 149

I. In Latin Rite Territories 149

II. In Byzantine Rite Territories 156

Chapter Two : The Law of the Pian-Benedictan Code 161

Chapter Three : After the Pian-Benedictan Code of Canon Law . 167

Section Two : The Latin Rite Antimensium 174

XV
page

Chapter One : Origin of the Latin Antimensium historical con-
spectus 175

Chapter Two : Present concept and terminology 183

Chapter Three : The outward form of the Latin Antimensium . 187

I. Material 187

II. Dimensions 191

III. Inclusion of Relics 193

Chapter Four : The Blessing of the Latin Antimensium .... 197

I. Minister of Blessing 198

II. Preparations Necessary for the Blessing 201

III. The Ceremony of Blessing 203

IV. Loss of Blessing of the Latin Antimensium. (Exsecration) . 204

Chapter Five : The use of the Latin Antimensium 207

I. Material Element (How Used) 207

II. Formal Element (Permission to use the Antimensium) . . 212

A. The Motu Proprio Pastorale Munus 212

B. The Pontifical Rescript Cum Admotae 216

C. Decennial Faculties of the S.C. de Propaganda Fide . 217

D. Decennial Faculties for Latin America and Philippine Islands 219

E. Catholic Near East Welfare Association 220

F. Military Ordinariate of the United States of America 221

G. Particular Indults Granted to Individuals by the Holy See 222

Chapter Six. : A further development in Latin Rite Liturgical Law 225

Conclusions 229

Bibliography . 235

Biographical note 271

APPENDICES

Appendix I. Texts and Documents 173

A. Canons of Patriarch Nicephoros (photocopy of Pitra, Vol. II.

pp. 329, 337) • • ' ' 275

XVI

page

B. Text of Consecration of Byzantine Antimension translated into
English 277

C. The Consecration of a Church by a Byzantine Priest (not a Bishop)
using an Antimension 285

1. Outline 285

2. Ceremony itself 288

D. A Letter from the Archives of the Sacred Congregation of Rites
Concerning a "veil with relics" 298

E. Forms used by the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches
for the Granting of the Privilege to substitute the (Byzantine)
Antimension for the petra sacra 300

1. For Bishops . 300

2. For Priests 301

F. Text of Blessing of the Antimensium Latinum traslated into
English 302

G. A Private Reply of the Sacred Congregation of Rites Concerning

the Antimensium Latinum 303

Appendix II. Tables, Photographs and Drawings 305

A. Table - Some Modern Printed Byzantine Antimensia Compared 307

B. Photographs of Western and Eastern Rite Fixed and Portable
Altars (antimensia, petra sacra, tablets, etc.) 309

C. Drawings of Medieval Russian Orthodox Antimensia (from Ni-
kolskij, Antimins) 328

Index 401

INTRODUCTION

In this study we propose to examine a part of the canonical insti-
tute of the altar, the portable altar, and specifically the antimension
in the canonical tradition of both the Byzantine Church (in which the
antimension in its present form originated) and the Latin Church (in
which the Byzantine antimension has of late been imitated in the form
of the antimensium latinum). Since the antimension is a liturgical acces-
sory, it will be necessary also to refer to the liturgical traditions of both
the Byzantine and Latin Churches, without which this form of the por-
table altar cannot be properly understood. In regard to the Byzantine
Church, because the canonical and liturgical discipline apropos the anti-
mension underwent great evolution during the period in which the ma-
jority of the Oriental Churches were not in official communion with the
Apostolic See of Rome, we will often have occasion to refer to fonts of
law originating with our separated Oriental Brethren.

The modus procedendi will in general be a systematic one rather
than adhesion to the chronological order of the material in question.
Because of the esoteric nature of this subject matter, it has been thought
expedient for the purposes of clarity to repeat texts, definitions and
explanations in many places. Arabic numerals have been added in the
left hand margin to indicate a change of subject or argument, also in
the hopes of clarity among a maze of details.

Before beginning our study, we feel it expedient to briefly consider:

1) the importance of the study of the antimension at the present

time ;

2) some brief elucidations concerning the fonts of Byzantine canon
law as related to our study ;

3) a survey of some modern scientific literature on the antimen-
sion ; and

4) the antimension in the background of the general history of the
christian altar.

2 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

I. Importance of the Study of the Antimension

The importance of the study of the antimension may be gathered
from the fact that its use has become widespread, especially in the last
twenty years, even in the Latin Church as a conveniently carried portable
altar for travelling priests and military chaplains, and as a serviceable
substitute for the somewhat clumsy petra-sacra for an improvised altar
versus populum sanctioned by the new liturgy.1 Literally thousands of
Byzantine antimensions are consecrated each year and distributed to
both Latin and Byzantine Catholic clergy all over the world by the Sa-
cred Congregation for the Oriental Churches, the various Military Ordi-
nariates, and organizations such as the Catholic Near East Welfare Asso-
ciation. There are no statistics available as to how many are distributed
through individual Byzantine Catholic Bishops and how many Latin
antimensia are blessed and distributed by individual Latin Bishops, but
the number is no doubt considerable.2

Furthermore, the Latin Church in imitating the Byzantine anti-
mension and giving certain faculties (such as those of Pastorale Munus,
Decennial Faculties of S.C.P.F., Decennial Faculties for Latin America
and Philippine Islands, and faculties for the Military Ordinariates, etc.)
for the use, under specified conditions, of the Byzantine and Latin forms
of the antimension, has modified in a certain way its traditional atti-
tude to the antimension as developed in the decrees of the Supreme
Pontiffs Pope Clement VIII and Pope Benedict XIV and finally crystal-
lized in the clause of canon 823 § 2 3 "non autem super Graecorum anti-

1 In many cases, awaiting a definitive solution to the problem of celebrat-
ing the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass versus populum in a church where the main
altar cannot be adapted for this purpose, rather than going to the expense of
having a special temporary altar versus populum constructed, many pastors
have installed an ordinary but suitable table, formerly used for some other pur-
pose and not provided with a recess or depressed slot for the insertion of a petra
sacra. To avoid danger of having the chalice or ciborium tip over when placed
too near the elevated edges of the portable altar stone, permission has been
obtained from the Local Ordinary to substitute the Latin or Byzantine form
of the antimension for the petra sacra.

2 About 2,000 per year are distributed through the Vicariate of Rome,

alone.

3 Canon 823, 2 : « Deficiente altari proprii ritus, sacerdos fas est ritu pro-
prio celebrare in altari consecratio alius ritus catholici, non autem super Graeco-
rum antimensiis ». « When an altar of his own rite is not available, a priest may,

tnensii" (which bewildered many of our Oriental brethren and seemed
to cast doubt upon the propriety of one of their most ancient and ve-
nerable institutions), and thus there can be no longer doubt about mere
toleration of its use.

For, in the Byzantine Rite, the antimension is not only a substitute
for an altar, it is a type of celebret, a symbol of apostolic continuity and
communion with the Church Universal. Where the antimension is pre-
sent, the place is transformed into a temple for the true worship of God,
in communion with the Saints whose relics are therein enclosed, and in
communion with the rightful hierarchy and successors of the Apostles,
through whose representative the antimension was consecrated and con-
signed to the priest celebrant of the Eucharistic Synaxis.

It is important for us, then, to understand the concept behind the
antimension and its proper use, in order to be in accord with the mind of
the Church which grants permission for its employment, and to under-
stand and appreciate more deeply this sacred, venerable and so characte-
ristic institution of our Oriental brethren, of both those in perfect union
and those only in imperfect union with the Apostolic See of Rome.

Finally, the student of the Canon Law of the Latin Church can hadly
afford to ignore the history, development and discipline concerning the
prototype of the antimensium latinum, which has recently entered inti-
mately into the canonical discipline of the Latin Church.

II. The Fonts of Byzantine Canonical Discipline as Related to
our Study

The canonical discipline of the Byzantine Church, both Catholic
and Orthodox (Dissident) at the present moment is in much the same
state of affairs as was Latin Rite canon law before the promulgation of
the Pian-Benedictan Code of Canon Law. Since it is not yet codified, we
will have more occasion to refer to custom, tradition, the doctrine of
canonical commentators, and discipline as embodied in official liturgical
books, than to canons as such.

For Catholics of the Oriental Rites, some sections of their discipline
have been alrady codified and promulgated by the authority of the
Apostolic See of Rome, namely :

using his own rite, celebrate Mass on a consecrated altar of another Catholic
rite, but not on the antimensia of the Greeks ».

De Ritibus Orientalibus 4
De Personis 5
De Religiosis 6

De Bonis Ecclesiasticis Temporalibus 4
De Verborum Significatione 8
De Disciplina Sacramenti Matrimonii 9
De Iudiciis 10

The sections of Oriental Canon Law which would interest us in our
present study, namely De Locis Sacris and De loco Missae Celebrandae
have not been as yet codified and thus we are thrown back for resources
even insofar as regards the Catholics of the Byzantine Rite upon the ge-
neral Fontes Exsistendi et Cognoscendi of the Byzantine Rite and its
various sub-branches.11

We will consider first the substratum commune of law proper to
Byzantine, both Catholics and Orthodox. These general fonts are :

4 Motu Proprio Cleri Sanctitati of Pope Pius XII, June 2, 1956. We may
note that the Latin language was used for this codification in imitation of Ju-
stinian's codification of the civil law, and because Latin is a more universal
language.

6 Ibidem.

6 Motu Proprio Postquam Apostolicis of Pope Pius XII, February 9, 1952.

7 Ibidem.

8 Ibidem.

9 Motu Proprio Crebrae Allatae of Pope Pius XII, February 22, 1949.

10 Motu Proprio Sollicitudinem Nostrum of Pope Pius XII, January 6,

1950-

11 The sub-branches, or particular churches of the Byzantine Rite are as
follows, arranged alphabetically : the Church of Albania, the Church of Bje-
lorussia (White Russia), the Church of Bulgaria, the Orthodox Church of China,
the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Orthodox Church of Estonia
and Lithuania, the Church of Finland, the Orthodox Church of Japan, the Church
of Georgia, the Church of Greece, the Italo-Greek-Albanian Church, the Church
of Yugoslavia, the Melkite Church, the Church of Rumania, the Church of Russia
(Patriarchate of Moscow), the Ruthenian Church, the Slovak Church of the
Byzantine Rite, the Ukrainian Church, the Hungarian Church of the Byzantine
Rite. All of these contain both Catholic and Orthodox (Dissident) groups, except
those which have been specified as Orthodox (China, Japan, Estonia and Li-
thuania), and the Italo-Greek- Albanians (who are all Catholics) ; cfr. William
W. Bassett, The Determination of Rite, Rome : (Analecta Gregoriana, vo. 157
Series Facultatis Iuris Canonici : sectio B, n. 21) Gregorian University Press
(sic), 1967, pp. 241-257, and passim. Other enumerations are possible.

Fontes Exist endi 12

Ecumenical Councils

The Patriarch

The Patriarchal Synod

Topical Synods (Local Councils)

Canonical Fathers 13

The Liturgical Books

Custom 14

Canonical Doctors

Civil Laws regarding Ecclesiastical Matters 15

The Bishop in his Eparchy 16

The Synaxis of an Independent Monastery 17

Fontes Cognoscendi 18

85 Canons of the Apostles (pseudo-Apostolic writings)
The Canons of the First 7 Ecumenical Councils (i.e. first six and
some of the Council of Trullo) 18a

12 Cfr. Acacius Cardinal Coussa, Epitome Praelectionum de lure Eccle-
siastico Orientali, vol. I, Grottaferrata (Rome) : Typis Monasterii Exarchici
Cryptoferratensis, 1948, pp. 41-94 ; also CICO Fonti, serie XXI, vol. VIII,
Studi Storici sulle Fonti del Diritto Canonico Orientale (C. Korlevskij et alibi),
pp. 1-29, 1 71-186, passim, and Msgr. Victor J. Pospishil, "Source of Eastern
Church Law," John XXIII Lectures (John XXIII Center for Eastern Christian
Studies, Fordham University, Bronx, New York), Vol. I (1965) : 1 13-123.

13 These are the writings of certain Fathers and Saints which, while having
no public authority in themselves, were approved and promulgated by General
or Particular Synods, especially the Council of Trullo (691).

14 Cfr. Coussa, op. cit., pp. 78-81.

15 Cfr. Ibidem, pp. 94-101, for a study of this complicated problem. The
Canonical Fathers, liturgical Books, Canonical Doctors, and civil laws regarding
ecclesiastical matters are considered by some as Fontes cognoscendi rather than
Fontes existendi ; cfr. Coussa, loc. cit.

16 Cfr. Ibidem, p. 305 ; Cleri Sanctitati, canons 399 and 428.

17 Cfr. CICO Fonti, serie II, fascicolo X : Placidus De Meester, De
Monachico Statu iuxta Disciplinam Byzantinam (1942). PP- 4° (cfr. also cor-
rigenda for p. 40), 44, 345 ; Postquam Apostolicis, canon 26. The Synaxis is
equivalent to the Latin Monastic Chapter.

18 Cfr. Amleto Giovanni Cardinal Cicognani, Canon Law (authorized
English version by Joseph M. O'Hara and Francis Brennan), Philadelphia :
The Dolphin Press, 1934, PP- 192-207, 449-462 ; CICO Fonti, serie I, vol. VIII,
loc. cit. ; Coussa, op. cit., pp. 103-166.

18a The Synod of Trullo, 691 A.D., also called the Quinisexta (since it was
convoked to complete the work of the Fifth and Sixth Ecumenical Councils), is

Canons of n Topical Synods Ai>

Canons from the writings of 16 Canonical Fathers 20
Canonical Collections.

In this substratum commune of law, as we have already intimated,
since the Oriental law is not codified, the teachings of the jurists (just as
in the Digest of Justinian, itself a product of the Byzantine Empire) are
very important as a suppletory font of law 21 and custom also has great
weight.22

In regard to the Catholics of the Byzantine Rite, the Roman Pon-
tiff and through his authority, the Roman Dicasteries (especially the
Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches and the Sacred Congre-

numbered by the Orthodox as one of the Ecumenical Councils but rejected as
such by the Catholics. As Cardinal Cicognani, op. cit., p. 151 remarks: « The
approved Trullan canons have been assigned to the Sixth Oecumenical Council
with the consent of the Holy See. Beyond doubt the meaning of this appro-
bation differs entirely from the opinion of the Oriental dissidents who alone hold
this to be an oecumenical council... it is, however, the chief source of law of the
Oriental Church for the Greek of Byzantine rite ». Cfr. also CICO Fonti, serie I,
fasc. IX, t. I, 1 {Discipline Generale Antique - Les Canons des conciles oecumeni-
ques), pp. 1, 98-100 ; Cicognani, op. cit., pp. 151-157 ; Coussa, op. cit., p. 115 ;
Pedalion (Cummings), pp. 283-285, 287-289.

19 Cfr. Cicognani, op. cit., pp. 192-198 ; Coussa, op. cit., pp. 112-115.

20 13 and 3 « Adnumerati » : St. Dionysius of Alexandria, St. Gregory
Thaumaturgus, St. Peter of Alexandria, St. Athanasius of Alexandria, St. Basil
the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa, Timothy of Alexandria, Theophilus of Alexan-
dria, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Gregory the Theologian (of Nazianzen), St. Am-
philochius of Iaconia, St. Gennadius of Constantinople, and St. Cyprian of Car-
thage (the only Occidental Canonical Father) ; cfr. Cicognani, op. cit., pp. 198-
199, where he also remarks on p. 198 : "Note here a remarkable innovation.
Up to this time the collections have been conciliar. Now they are mixed. To the
canons are added decisions of the Fathers, thus introducing a new source of law
and attributing to the Greek Fathers, at least implicitly, an authority similar
to that of jurists in civil law. In fact the Trullan Collection — following the
example of Valentinian and Justinian in regard to the jurists — indicated the
twelve Fathers to be followed as authorities" ; Coussa, op. cit., pp. 116-119.
Besides the 13 Canonical Fathers named in the second canon of the Council of
Trullo (Cardinal Cicognani's book is subject to a lapsus calami when it mentions
12 Canonical Fathers ; there are 12 Greek, and one Latin, Fathers), there are
generally added in the collections : John IV the Faster, of Constantinople ;
St. Nicephorus I the Confessor, of Constantinople ; and Nicholas III Grammaticos
of Constantinople. Cfr. Coussa, op. cit., pp. 118-119.

21 Cfr. Coussa, op. ext., pp. 84-85.
M Cfr. Ibidem, pp. 78-81.

gation of the Holy Office) 23 form additonal Fontes Existendi and thus
the legislation emanating from these sources form are added to the sub-
stratum commune as Fontes Cognoscendi ; the Latin Code of Canon Law
forms, for these Oriental Catholics, a suppletory font of law.24

Among the canonical collections, we will have occasion to quote
the Pedalion (Greek for "Rudder") 25 which is an official collection 26
of the Greek Orthodox Church, especially for the Patriarchate of Con-
stantinople and the autocephalous Church of Greece. Written in Greek
by the monks Agapios and Nicodemos of Mt. Athos by command of
Neophytus VIII, Patriarch of Constantinople, it was first printed and
published in 1800. It contains the Canons of the Apostles, Canons of
the Ecumenical and Topical Synods, Canons from the Fathers, including
St. Nicephorus and John the Faster, with the commentaries of Aristenus,
Zonarus and Theodore Balsamon, along with many explanatory notes by
Agapios and Nicodemos. Editions : Leipzig, 1800 ; Athens, 1841, 1864,
1908 ; translated into English by D. Cummings (from 1908 Athens edi-
tion) and published in 1957 by the Orthodox Christian Educational So-
ciety, Chicago. It has been called the Corpus Juris Canonici of the Greek
Church.

What may we say in general of the value for Oriental Catholics of
the ecclesiastical discipline which has its origin in Orthodox authorities ?
Father Ivan Rezac, s.j., Secretary of the Pontifical Institute of Oriental
Studies at Rome, writes in his Institutiones Iuris Canonici Orientalis :

"The Roman Pontiffs often have declared that the Orientals
returning to union with the Catholic Church may keep their
own usages and customs, except those which might be contrary
to true faith or good morals Thus, the fonts of law which they

23 The names of these Sacred Congregations were changed by the Ap-
ostolic Constitution De Romana Curia Regimini Ecclesiae Universae of August
15, 1967 (AAS 59 [1967] 885-928), nn. 29, 41 to : The Sacred Congregation for
the Oriental Churches (Sacra Congregatio pro Ecclesiis Orientalibus) and The
Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (Sacra Congregatio pro Doc-
trina Fidei).

24 Cfr. Coussa, op. cit., pp. 82-83, 411 ; Ioannes Rezac, Institutiones
Iuris Canonici Orientalis (reproduced by offset method, "ad usum privatum
auditorum") Rome : Pontificium Institutum Orientalium Studiorum, 1961,
part I, pp. 122-127.

25 Referring to the rudder of the metaphorical ship of the Church of Christ.

26 Cfr. CICO Fonti, serie I, vol. VIII, op. cit., pp. 180-181 ; Cicognani,
op. cit., p. 204 ; Coussa, op. cit., p. 93.

used up until the time of their reunion, may, according to this
norm, be retained. There is no difficulty as long as we treat of
laws promulgated by authorities who were in union with the
Catholic Church. However, what may be said about the laws
enacted after the schism ? Either, on the one hand, we are
treating of collections which in great part contain the canons
of the ancient law, and eliminating those things which must be
expunged, the use of these books is ordinarily tolerated ; or, on
the other hand, we are treating of laws originating from dissident
(separated) authority, and thus (prescinding from the disputed
question concerning the jurisdiction of the separated hierarchy),
they may contain norms at least materially obligatory for
Catholics inasmuch as these prescriptions have entered into the
usages and customs of the faithful. Therefore, the knowledge of
these fonts is necessary for Catholics, or at least useful." 27

Furthermore, these fonts of law of the Orthodox are cited in the
Fonts for the Condi fications of the Oriental Canon Law 28 published by the
Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches, and by such emminent
authors as Cardinal Acacius Coussa,29 Archimandrite Placidus De Mees-
ter, etc.

27 Rezac, op. cit., pp. 72-73 : "Romani Pontifices saepe declaraverunt
Orientales ad unionem Ecclesiae catholicae redeuntes proprios mores et con-
suetudines servare posse, exceptis illis quae contraria essent verae fidei aut bonis
moribus. Propterea fontes quoque iuris, quibus usque ad Unionem utebantur,
iuxta hanc normam adhiberi poterat. Nulla adest difficultas quoties agitur de
legibus editis ab auctoritate quae fuerat in unione cum Ecclesia catholica.. Quid
vero de iure statuto tempore separtionis ? Vel agitur de collectionibus quae
magna ex parte canones iuris antiqui continent, tunc eliminatis eliminandis, usus
horum librorum ordinarie tolleratur ; vel agitur de legibus provenientibus ab
auctoritate separata, et tunc (omissa quaestione disputata de iurisdictione hie-
rarchiae separatae), materialiter saltern normas continere possunt pro catholicis
obligatorias quatenus praescripta haec in mores et consuetudines fidelium transie-
runt. Ideo cognitio horum fontium catholicis quoque necessaria vel saltern
utilis est."

28 Cfr. in particular CICO Fonti, serie I, vol. VIII, pp. 12-13, 200-201
and especially pp. 216-217 where Father Cyril Korolevskij says much the same
thing as Father Rezac.

29 Coussa, op. cit., pp. 73, 147, 165, 175, 179, passim ; on p. 132 the late
Cardinal Coussa notes : "Utilitas et commoda huius dissidentium legislationis
sunt quod traditionem repraesentet et tentamen aptationis antiquae disciplinae
Byzantinae exigentiis praesentis aetatis."

III. Survey of Some Modern Scientific Literature on the Anti-
men sion

In this brief survey, our mode of treatment will be based on chror-
ological order, and we will confine our study to the principal works. For
full publishing information, cfr. our Bibliography.

Year Author and work

1872 Nikolskij, Constantine, On the Antimension in the Russiai
Orthodox Church (in Russia, 384 pp.). The learned Archpriest
treats of antimensia from a historical point of view, without
delving into the canonical principles, especially in regard to
those still preserved at his time in Russia. He reports the texts
of many official church and state documents relating to the
antimension and concludes his work with 25 plates of Russian
antimensia dating from 1149 to 1707. The limitations of his
work, other than its antiquity, are his confining of his study
almost exclusively to the Russian Orthodox Church and his
lack of canonical perspective.

1899 Petrides, Sophrone, "L'antimension", Les Echos d'Orient (in

French, 10 pp.). In this article, as well as his similar articles
of the same name in DACL (1907) and DTC (1923) the author
gives the origin, etymology, ancient and modern usage, descrip-
tion and usage among Catholics of the antimension. The best
of the articles is the one in DACL. Used chronological order
not systematic.

1900 Petrovskij, A., "Antimins", Russian Orthodox Theological Ency-

clopedia (in Russian, 13 columns). The origins, consecration,
and certain usages with regard to antimensia, especially those
of the Russian Orthodox Church. Reports some otherwise
unavailable decrees, and also details of several antimensia
existing at his time in Russia. This is the last pre-revolutionary
study of the antimension in his nation.

1907 Shipman, Andrew, "Antimensium", The Catholic Encyclopedia
(in English, one column). The author summarizes briefly the
origins of the antimension in the times of Iconoclastic persecu-
tion and gives some notes on modern usages. Good, but brief
and out of date. The New Catholic Encyclopedia does not
carry an article specifically treating of antimensia, neither
Byzantine nor Latin.

1916 Lubeck, K., "Das Antiminsion der Griechen", Der Katholik (in
German, 20 pp.). Professor Lubeck follows the footsteps of

Petrides, sometimes criticizes his work, but adds little new
material.

1924 Braun, Joseph, Der Chrisliche Altar, 2 vols, (in German, 1480 pp.

in all, of which about 58 are devoted to, or carry notices about
antimensia). This monumental work carries much useful
historical, canonical, and liturgical material concerning the
problem of the antimension ; there is little detailed material
on modern antimensia. Not a systematic study of antimensia.

1934 Nabaa', Phillip, "The Antimension in the Byzantine Church",

Al Massarat (in Arabic, 8 pp.). The late Melkite Catholic Me-
tropolitan of Beirut recapitulates the work of Petrides and
Lubeck, but unfortunately gives us few details regarding spe-
cifically Melkite usages.

1935 Amanieu, A., "Antimense", DDC (in French, 3 columns). The

Author devotes about one half of his article to the canonical
sources for the Byzantine antimension, for which he draws
heavily on Petrides' articles, and the remaining half to its use
among Latin clergy, for which he relies upon the decrees of
Popes Clement VIII and Benedict XIV.

1947 Dusanic, Svetozar Stephex, "The Antimension as an Object
of Scientific Study", Church Calendar of the Serbian Orthodox
Patriarchate for the Year ig4j (in Serbian, 4 quarto pp.). This
official of the Patriarchal Museum at Belgrade treats of the
antimension from a fresh point of view : its value as an histor-
ical source for names and frontiers of eparchies, history of
ecclesiastical art, history of ecclesiastical and secular architec-
ture, paleography and philology, history of the textile industry,
and the history of the liturgy.

1949 Ayala Lopez, Manuel, "Ara y Antimension", Revista Espanola
De Der echo Canonico (in Spanish, 14 pp.). The author traces
the history of the Christian altar, resumes the medieval Greek
canonical writings, as done before by Petrides, notes the history
of the S.C.P.F. faculty to celebrate on exsecrated altars, and
finally gives the origins of, and indults for, the use of the Latin
Antimensium up until his time. In this latter part he follows
very closely the writings of Paventi (cfr. Bibliography).

1951 Raes, Alphonse, "Antimension, Tablit, Tabot", Proche-Orient
Chretien (in French, 12 pp.). The learned Jesuit Prefect of the
Vatican library makes a comparison between the Byzantine
(7 pp.) ; Armenian, Syrian, Maronite, Nestorian, Coptic and
Ethiopian forms of the portable altar. Appropos the Byzan-
tine antimension, Father Raes adds little new material to the
basic work of Petrides ; his information on the other rites,
however, is very valuable.

1 1

1956 Ferrari, Giuseppe, "EIAHETON e ANTIMIN2ION presso i
Bizantini », Bollettino dellu Badia Greca di Grottaj 'errata (in
Italian, 7 pp.). This article by an Italo- Greek Protopapas, is
the first since P^trides to bring to the study of the antimension
as a canonico-liturgical institution a fresh point of view and
new material, especially as regards the etymology of the word
antimension, the distinction between antimension and eileton,
the necessity of the use of an antimension on even consecrated
fixed altars in the Byzantine Rite, and the use of the anti-
mension as a celebret and sign of participation in Apostolic
succession.

1962 Theodorou, Methodios & Panotis, "Antimension", Greek Or-
thodox Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (in Greek, 2 columns,
i plus one page of photographs). The antimension is brieflv

studied under its liturgical, historical, and iconographic di-
mensions. Little new material.

1964 P.E. (sic), "Russian Antimensia", Journal of the Moscow Pa-
triarchate (in Russian, 12 pp. plus 4 pp. of photographs). The
author, who signs himself "P.E." and whose name the Moscow
Patriarchate would not reveal, treats of the antimension from
a canonico-liturgical and archeological point of view, reviewing
its history, its relation with the epitaphios and aer, and gives
valuable notices about the first printed antimensia in Russia,
their iconography and inscriptions, and some otherwise un-
available information.

Analyzing the above works, we may say that there is only one book
which treats ex professo about the antimension, that of Nikolskij, but
that his work lacks canonical perspective, is limited mostly to the Rus-
sian Orthodox Church and was written almost a century ago. Braun's
two volumes contain much useful information scattered throughout the
work but it is over forty years old and does not treat of the Latin anti-
mensium (because it did not exist at that time). Of the other works, the
outstanding ones are those of Petrides, followed ad litteram at times by
subsequent authors ; Dusanic* and Ferrari bring new light to the subject;
Raes and Ayala Lopez contain interesting comparisons. Of the authors
who actually belong to the Byzantine Catholic Rite, there are only Pe-
trides, Nabaa' and Ferrari. Much of the material is in Greek and in the
Slavic languages, not easily accessible ; the only work in English is Ship-
man's short article of 60 years ago.

Thus, the present writer hopes that his work may perhaps be of
some use in 1) that it gathers sources ordinarily inaccessible either be-
cause of language or location ; 2) it attempts a synthesis of the traditional

I 2

and modern discipline regarding both the Byzantine and Latin forms of
the antimension, and a comparison between these two forms ; 3) and is
the first lengthy analysis of the yet uncodified canonical legislation con-
cerning the Latin antimensium and its use.

IV. Origins of the Christian Altar in relation to the antimension

Whatever other purposes to which it may be put (in the Byzantine
Church it is often used as a type of corporal), the antimension is essen-
tially a portable altar, analogous to the petra sacra in common use in the
Latin Church, and as such cannot be examined entirely abstracted from
the context of the concept and history of the christian altar as a whole,
for which it is the surrogate.

The antimension, in the present discipline of both the Latin and
Byzantine Churches, is intrinsically a piece of cloth, blessed (or conse-
crated) ordinarily by a Bishop, and having attached it to relics of the
Saints ; it serves as a substitute for an altar, it is an altar. But what
relation does this piece of cloth have with the more-or-less massive altars
in the form of solid constructions of masonry and stone, or at least the
portable slabs of consecrated stone found in the Latin Church today, and
the similar constructions of stone or wood found in the contemporary
Byzantine Church ? And, in turn, what do these solidly fixed altars have
in common with the simple wooden household table used by our Lord in
the Upper Room when he instituted the Eucharist, and by the Apostles
and their early successors when they "continued in the Breaking of
Bread" (Acts 2 : 42) ? We will attempt to show that the christian altar
was originally a portable altar and that the antimension continues this
tradition and so is not a mere "legal fiction". Tracing briefly the evolu-
tion of this paleochristian portable altar into the fixed consecrated altar,
we propose to demonstrate in this Introduction that the antimension
conserves, at least in rudimentary fashion, a purpose and symbolism
parallel to that of the fixed altar and the petra sacra.

The present-day fixed consecrated altar of the Latin Rite, and to a
great extent also that of the Byzantine Rite, is the evolutionary product
of two traditions concerning practical usage together with the influence
exercised by a particular current of theological symbolism : the two tra-
ditions originating in practical exigencies we prefer to call the 1) Mensa-
Domini tradition, and 2) the Altar-Tomb of Martyr tradition ; to these is
added an important concept or symbolism drawn from the theological

nature of the Eucharist — its sacrificial dimension (the renewal in an
unbloody manner of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross) emphasized
through the altar as analog of the Old Testament Altar of Holocausts.
Christ, the Lamb of God, is sacrificed as our Pasch on this altar, and
hence the Christian altar is more often than not a large stone or masonry
structure more suited for the exigencies of the Temple ritual of slaugh-
tering and burning the victim, than reminiscent of the Table of the
Lord's Supper.

A. The Mensa-Domini Tradition

The Mensa-Domini tradition emphasizes the altar as the table of
the Eucharist Banquet and thus has a purely utilitarian origin : a flat
surface, usually an ordinary table, convenient for supporting the Eu-
charist elements of Bread and Wine.

The first altars were, continuing the example of our Lord at the
Last Supper, the common types of tables found in a coenaculum ("upper
room" of an insula or "block of flats") or in a "domus ecclesiae" (more
pretentious house used as a place for christians to gather for worship). 30
Both are already indicated in the New Testament.31 That the first altars
were ordinary tables can be shown from iconographic and documentary
evidence.

In the earliest representations of the altar in christian iconography,
it is always a banquet table or an ordinary small table. Thus, in a paint-
ing dating from the beginning of the III century in one of the "Chapels
of the Sacraments" in the underground cemetery or catacomb of Cal-
listus, the unknown artist has placed the Icthys, the fish representing
Christ, together with bread upon a round, threelegged table ("tribadion")
of the same design so often met with in ancient Roman household fur-
niture. On one side a man dressed as a philosopher (the Bishop or Priest)
stretches his hands over the oblation while on the other side of the table
a female figure stands with hands upraised in prayer (this familiar pose is
called that of the "orans"). In regard to this scene Hertling and Kirsh-
baum note :

30 Cfr. Darsy, Paleo-Christian Archeology (mimeographed Rome, 1961.
Cours du Centre d'Etudes Saint Louis de France), pp. 38-42 ; P. Testixi. At-
cheologia Cristiana (Rome : Desclee and Cie., i958)> PP- 549-555-

31 Coenaculum : Mark 14 : 12-19 ; Luke 22 : 10-14 ; Acts 1 : 12-14 ; Acts
20 : 7-12. Domus Ecclesiae ■: 1 Cor. 16 : 19 ; Romans 16 : 3-5 ; Colossians 4 : 15 ;
Philippians 1:2; Acts 20 : 20 ; etc.

"There can be little doubt that this is a representation of
the Eucharist... it is also certain that the altar in christian
antiquity normally had the shape of a table, so much so in
fact, that the altar is simply called a 'table'. Even today mensa
('table') is the term used to designate the flat surface of the
altar." 32

De Rossi recognized in this scene the very act of the Priest con-
secrating the Eucharist, with the Orans calling to mind the Church which
prays before her Spouse present in the consecrated Elements. 33 Testini
calls the little three-legged table shown in this picture, which he dates
from between the end of the II century and the beginning of the III cen-
tury, 34 "the prototype of the sacrificial 'mensa', the typical altar of
the primitive community." 35

These tables were not at first a definite piece of liturgical furniture
specially set aside for this use, but any convenient table. Hertling and
Kirshbaum interpret some of the statements of the Apostle and of early
Fathers :

"Paul indeed speaks of ' the table of devils ' 36 (i Cor. 10.21),
and Cyprian of ' another altar ' which the schismatics erected.
Ignatius even uses the Greek word for ' sacrificial altar '. But
these expressions at best indicate only the Eucharistic sacrifice
and not a definite piece of Liturgical furniture. One of the very
reasons why the christians were called atheists was that they
had neither temples nor altars. Any kind of support on which
the linen cloth could be spread and the chalice placed sufficed."37

Here we may inject a documentary testimony, albeit a negative
one, showing that the early Christians did not have stone altars of the
various types so essential a part of pagan worship, thus making the

32 Hertling and Kirschbaum, The Roman Catacombs and their Martyrs
(London : Darton, Longman and Todd, i960), p. 239. Cfr. also p. 165.

33 Cfr. O. Marucchi - H. Vecchierello, Manual of Christian Archeology
(Paterson, N.J. : St. Anthony Guild Press, 1935), p. 293.

34 P. Testini, op. cit., p. 212.

36 "A questi modelli si aggiunge infine quello raffrgurato in una cappella
cosidetta dei Sacramenti del cimitero di S. Callisto a Roma : un tripode, che per
la singolarita della forma e l'antichita deH'afTresco si vuole ritenere come il pro
totipo della mensa sacrificale, l'altare tipico delle primitive communita." P. Te-
stini, op. cit., p. 580. Cfr. also Testini, Le Catacombe, etc., p. 183.

36 1 Cor. 10 : 21.

37 Hertling and Kirschbaum, op. cit., p. 165.

Christians impious in the eyes of their un-converted brethren : Arnobius
says in his Adversus Gentes :

"In hac enim consuetis parte crimen nobis maximum impie-
tatis adfigere, quod neque sedes sacras venerationis ad omcia
construamus, non deorum alicuius simulacrum construamus aut
formam non altaria fabricemus, non aras." 38

Even an ordinary household bench could be used to celebrate the
Eucharist as is recorded in the Gnostic Acts of Thomas. 39

In certain extraordinary cases even a flat surface was entirely
dispensed with : Bishop Theodoret of Cyrus (d. 458), wishing to offer
the liturgical sacrifice in the cell of the hermit Maris which was entirely
bare of furniture, had one of his deacons simply hold the sacred elements
iri his hands. 40 The priest Lucian, imminently destined for martyrdom
and spread-eagled to the floor of his cell, celebrated the Eucharist for
himself and his fellow prisoners by having them place the elements on his
breast while he said the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving. 41

To sum up what has been said thus far, it would seem that the
earliest Christian altars were usually not made especially for this purpose
but were only any sort of ordinary table (and thus portable). However,
the transition from this primitive stage to setting aside a particular table
to be used only for the Eucharistic celebration was but a natural develop-
ment stemming from the great regard with which the christian commu-
nity regarded the « tremendous sacrifice », and also perhaps, from the
veneration for certain table-altars which had been used by the Saints (it
would be but a further step to set these tables aside by special prayers
and rites of blessing or consecration in imitation of the Old Testament

38 "Therefore to this usage is attributed the greatest part of our 'impiety':
that we do not construct sacred places of veneration (temples) for divine ser-
vices, neither do we construct any images of gods, nor do we make high places or
altars." Ibid, pp. 261-262 (and therefore the early christians did not offer the
Eucharist on massive stone structures or even on special carved stone pedestals,
(socles), as did the pagans with their sacrifices; it may be opportune to mention
here that the Jews and even the pagans had the idea of communion with God
through the partaking of a sacrificial banquet yet they did not ordinarily use
ordinary tables, as did the Christians, but had elaborate altars.

39 M. James, The Apocryphal New Testament, Oxford : The Clarendon
Press, 1924, p. 388.

40 Theodore of Cyrus, Historia Religionis, 20, P.G. 82 : 1439-

41 Philostorgius, 2 : 13 ; P.G. 65 : 475.

1.6

and even of the pagans... this concept of hallowing is common to most
religions). Fixed altars are thought by scholars to date from the V and
VI centuries 42. Testini (with Jungmann) affirms that these table-altars
were all of wood :

"The moveable altar was without doubt a wooden one ; it
is supposed that such was the mensa in the dqmus ecclesiae,
and in the cemeterial basilicas...." 43

As we shall see in the next section, the cult of the dead and espe-
cially of the martyrs brought about further developments so that from
the V century 44 the altar is transformed into a tomb.

B. Altar-Tomb of Martyr Tradition

Even when the Eucharist was offered as a cult act in honor of the
martyrs who joined their sacrifice to the Sacrifice of Christ, it was most
probably celebrated on a portable table set up for the occasion before
the martyr's tomb on his « Dies Natalis ». We do not mean to imply
that the Eucharist was offered in the christian necropoli, especially the
underground cemeteries (« catacombs »), as a regular procedure; this
mistaken notion has been explored and rejected by modern scholarship :
the catacombs were too narrow and dark, lacking adequate ventilation
and malodorous with the gases of decay, to be used regularly as the place
of liturgical assembly of the christian community 45.

42 Hertling and Kirschbaum, op. cit., p. 165 ; P. Testini, op. cit., pp.
579-581 ; Marucchi, op. cit., p. 376.

43 "L'altare mobile era senza dubbio ligneo ; si suppone che tale fosse la
mensa nelle domus ecclesiae, nella basiliche cimiteriali..." P. Testini, op. cit.,
p. 580.

44 Ibid.

45 Cfr. Hertling and Kirschbaum, op. cit., pp. 6-7 : "This romantic
attitude toward martyrdom was an impediment to sober scientific research. At
the same time it caused an entirely false picture of the history of the first Chris-
tian centuries to be drawn. As soon as everything was put in relation with the
persecutions, the catacombs came to be looked upon as places of refuge for
Christians in time of persecutions. Consequently all the liturgy of the community
would have been carried on underground, and not a few Christians would have
lived there. Such fantasies were augmented by the old legends of the martyrs
which came to be more and more esteemed after the discovery of the catacombs.
In the Legend of Susanna it is recorded of Pope Caius that fleeing from persecu-
tion he remained concealed in the crypts for years. As a matter of fact, however,
at the time of the historical Pope Caius (283-296) there was no persecution at all."

We must not fall into the error, either, of identifying all arcosolia 48
as altars. As Hertling and Kirschbaum remark :

'•For a long time... it was believed that altars were to be
found in the cemeteries. These were identified with the so-
called ' sepolcri a mensa ' or ' arcosolia ', and it was believed
that Mass was celebrated on the horizontal slab beneath the
arch of such a tomb. But many of these tombs appear to be
entirely unsuited for such a purpose since they are much too
. high or too low, and at times located in very narrow corridors.
But it is perhaps unnecessary to look for altars since in ancient
times a fixed altar for the consecration of the Eucharist was not
essential." 47

Nor should we mistake as altars the so-called Tavole d'Olei, square
dr round columns about 3 feet high and with flat tops on which were
placed oil lamps as votive lights before the tombs of the matyrs, as for
example beside the tomb of Pope St. Cornelius in the "Crypt of Lucina"
near the Cemetery of Callistus on the Via Appia.

After the Edict of Milan in 313, the cult of the matyrs 48 received
much impetus and the great cemeterial basilicas were built. In con-
nection with these, the tombs of the martyrs were made more accessible
to the faithful by means of special stairways and airshafts ("lucenaria")
and often surrounding tombs were cleared away and underground rooms
(cubicula) enlarged. The custom arose of celebrating the Eucharist di-
rectly on the tomb of the martyrs when this could be done. The flat
stone closing the tomb in a arcosolium was often ideally suited to this as
it presented a wide flat surface upon which to spread a cloth and to set
forth the elements of bread and wine. Later, when for still greater con-
venience or safety from barbarian invasions the bodies of the martyrs
were transferred to the Urban basilicas, a similar stone slab was placed

48 "A tomb of more pretentious character than the others and much in
use was known, from its form or structure, as the arcosolium. Such a tomb
consisted of an arched niche in the wall beneath which a grave was dug for one
or more bodies, to be closed later by marble slab laid flat over the opening... The
term arcosolium, arcisoium, arcusolium is composed of the word arcus, that is,
the arch formed by the upper part of the tomb, and solium, which refers more
properly to the huge marble bathing receptables or bathtubs used by the pagans,
which had the form of a square trunk." Marucchi, op. cit., p. 97.

47 Hertling and Kirschbaum, op. cit., p. 165.

48 Hertling and Kirschbaum, op. cit., pp. 72, 77. Testini, Le Catacombe,
pp. 179-191.

3 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

over the altar-tomb of the martyr in imitation of the original burial
site. 49

In the meantime, the analogy between the Sacrifice 50 of the Lamb
of God (on the Cross and continued in the Eucharist) and the bloody
sacrifices of the Old Testament had been emphasized so that beside
representing the stone slab closing the martyr's tomb, the Christian altar
at least in the West, 61 became the analog of the great Altar of Holo-
causts in the Hebrew Ritual. An important difference, however, was that
the Altar of Burnt Offerings was (at least for practical reasons, e.g.
smoke) set up outside the Tabernacle and later the Temple while the
center of attention within the cult edifice was the Shekinah in the Debit
(the Presence of God within the Holy of Holies) ; pagan altars were also
usually set up outside the temples and the cella, the small cubicle where
the deity dwelt, was the center of devotion. 52 In the New Law, however,
while it is true that spiritually Christ is our Temple not-made-with-

49 The martyr's sacrifice of his life as witness to his faith has always been
thought of in relation to the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Jesus was the first
Martyr, come to give witness to the truth, and all the other martyrs have followed
Him giving their lives in witness to Him.. No doubt this thought has been in-
fluenced by the scene of the Liturgy of the Heavenly Temple as presented in the
Apocalypse (6: 9-1 1) : "When He (the Lamb) broke the fifth seal, I saw un-
derneath the altar the souls of all the people who had been killed on account of
the word of God, for witnessing to it, etc.." Thus the Hebrew Altar of Holo-
causts, the Cross and Tomb of Christ, and the tomb of the martyr are all seen
in relation to each other. Cfr. Nicholas Martin Bliley, Altars According to
the Codex of Canon Law, Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America
Press, 1927, p. 39 ; Yves Congar, The Mystery of The Temple, London : Burns
& Oates, 1962, pp. 203, 208-213; Amato Pietro Frutaz, 27 culto delle Reliquie
e loro uso nella consacrazione degli altari, in Notitiae, vol. I (1965), pp. 310-31 1 ;
P. Testini, Le Catacombe e gli antichi cimiteri cristiani in Roma, Bologna : Cap-
pelli Editore, 1966, pp. 239-240.

50 For the Eucharist, as a sacrifice replacing sacrifice of Mosaic Law, see
St. Irenaeus (d. 202), Adv. Haereses, P.G. 7 : 1023 ; St. Cyprian (d. 258) ; Epi-
stulae, P.L. 4: 383, 385; St. Caesarius Nazianzenus (d. 368), P.G. 38: 1132.
Didache (c. 90/100), P.G. 14 : 1-3 ; St. Justin Martyr (d. 163), Dialogs, 41,
P.G. 6, 564.

51 Cfr. R. P. E. Mercenier, La Priere des Eglises de Rite Byzantine, tome I,
Chevetogne, Belgique : Monastere de Chevetogne, 2e ed., 1947, PP- xx-xxv ;
A. Raes, Introductio in Liturgiam Orientalem, Rome : Pont. Inst. Orientalium
Studiorum, 1947, pp. 35-40 ; S. Salaville, An Introduction to the Study of
Eastern Liturgies, London : Sands and Co., 1938, pp. 133-137.

52 Cfr. Marucchi, op. cit., p. 350.

hands and the unique Altar, 63 still the focus of attention and devotion
in our material cult edifices is the altar. 64

Today, then, our massive stone altars have evolved in this tradition
so that they are much more reminiscent of the stone sepulcher, and of
the stone altar on which victims are burned, than the Mensa-Domini
(people usually do not have stone tables to eat from). So much so in
fact, that the Occidental concept of the portable altar is a miniaturized
version of its ordinary counterpart and as such must be made of stone
thus hampering its "portability", by reason of its bulk, weight, and the
danger of fracturing it. The Oriental fixed altar may be of masonry but
is usually a wooden table. In the Byzantine Rite there are two altars,
one to prepare the elements of bread and wine (the Altar of Prothesis ;
Gk. : 7up60£cri<; ; Slav : F[pejino>KeHOHe ; or }KepTBeHHHKT>) , which are later
brought in procession to the main altar (The Holy Table or Throne ;
Gk. : 0u(na<mr)piov ; Slav. : IlpecTOjrb). The Chaldeans and Armenians
also prepare the elements in a special place, the other orientals use the
main altar itself. In all the Oriental Rites, except the Chaldean Rite, the
altar is usually separated from the apsidial wall and placed in the middle
of the sanctuary in such a manner that the ministers may walk around it.
The Byzantine fixed altar, on the other hand, is ordinarily a wooden table
(and thus more like the Mensa-Domini) while the portable altar is the
Antimension, a piece of cloth with the Deposition from the Cross depicted
on it, and having a small bag of relics sewn to the underside. Even here
we must be careful not to satisfy ourselves with prima facie evidence :
we may find important traces of the Tomb of Martyrs-Altar of Holo-
causts tradition in the wax-mastic 55 a mixture of beeswax with mastic,
various aromatic substances, 56 and marble dust : this wax-mastic is

58 John 2 : 19 ; Col. 2:9; cfr. A. G. Martimort, L'Eglise en Prihe (Tournai:
Desclee et Cie., 1961), pp. 170, 175.

54 Cfr. A.-M. Roguet, "L'Autel", La Maison Dieu, 63 (i960), p. 107 ;
Martimort, op. ext., p. 174. We may point out here that the altar, and not the
tabernacle, is the center of our churches ; in fact, in the larger Basilicas and
Cathedrals where it is feasible, the Eucharist is not reserved on the main altar
but in a special side chapel.

65 Sometimes also called ceromastic (Gk. K^pofjuxartxTj Slav BocKOMacTHXT>) .
Cfr. F. De Meester, Rituale-Benedizionale Bizantino, Roma : Tip. Leonina 1930,
pp. 185, 189, 192-193, 206-207, 236-237 ; Nikolskij, Ustav, St. Petersburgh,
1900. Photo reproduced, Austria ; Graz, i960, p. 800. Cfr. below pp. 66-67.

56 Wax-mastic is a combination of beeswax, mastic (a brittle resin obtain-
ed from a small Mediterranean evergreen tree Pistacia leniiscus (popular in

always used for a practical and also symbolic purpose 57 to coat the relics
which are placed in a casket on a short pillar under a fixed altar or in a
small cloth bag sewn to the underside of the portable altar, the antimen-
sion ; by this inclusion of stone dust in every Byzantine fixed and port-
able altar, we may have a situation analogous to the Latin practice of
stone fixed and portable altars : a liturgical avatar of the martyr's tomb
and Burnt Offering Altar.

We may note here briefly that the portable altars of the other
Oriental rites are usually tablets of wood, consecrated with Sacred Chrism
by a Bishop, but not ordinarily containing relics. 58

Greece as chewing gum), marble dust, aloes, myrrh, frankincense (olibanum
tears), and ladanum (a dark-colored, brittle, bitter resin from various species
of the rockrose, genus Cistus, often spelled labdanum) ; (other aromatic sub-
stances may be added to perfume the mastic, but the essential ingredients are the
preceding) . Ibidem.

57 The practical use of the wax-mastic is as an adhesive cement to join
the mensa to the stipes, and the small bag of relics to the antimension ; also to
conglomerate the small particles of relics. Its symbolic use, is according to Sy-
meon of Thessalonica (d. 1430) as a figure of our Lord's sepulcher, and His love
and union with us unto death : "and he takes the container, in which is wax-
mastic together with aromatics, i.e. myrrh, aloes, etc., which represent the
burial of our Savior, the mensa representing the tomb and stone sealing it ; the
wax and mastic are necessary as a sort of glue and represent union with Christ
and His love for us unto death." (De Sacro Templo) P.G. 155, 312.

88 Cfr. Joseph Braun, Der Christliche Altar in Seiner Geschictlichen Ent~
wicklung (2 vols.), Munich : Alte Meister Guenther Koch & Co., 1924, vol. I,
pp. 517-523 ; J. M. Hanssens & A. Raes, "Une collection des tabots au Musee
chr6tien de la Bibliotheque Vaticane," Orientalia Christiana Periodica, XVII
(!955) : 435-45° > Alphonse Raes, "Antimension, Tablit, Tabot," Proche-Orient
Chretien, vol. I (1951), pp. 65-70 and Pitirim of Volokolamsk, Archbishop,
"Patriarch Pimen's Trip to Ethiopia", The Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate
(English Edition), No. 5, 1974, 48-60. For photographs cfr. below, pp. 314-316.

PART ONE

THE ANTIMENSION IN THE LITURGICAL
AND CANONICAL TRADITION OF THE BYZANTINE CHURCH

CHAPTER ONE

THE BYZANTINE ANTIMENSION :
CONCEPT AND TERMINOLOGY

In the present-day usage of the Byzantine Church, the antimension
is a rectangular piece of linen or silk, bearing a representation of the
Deposition or Entombment of Christ ; it is consercrated with Holy Chrism
by a Bishop, who also affixes relics of Martyrs to it. It is meant to serve
as a type of corporal when used on a regularly consecrated fixed altar,
but may also substitute altogether for a fixed consecrated altar and thus
is a species of portable altar, the analog of the Latin Rite consecrated
portable altar stone (petra sacra).

I. The orthography and etymology of the word antimension re-
main problematical. 1 The most common form is antimension, Gk.

1 For further discussion of the problem of the orthography and etymology
of the word antimension in ecclesiastical Greek, Church Slavonic and other
languages, cfr. for the more ancient witnesses and authorities : Bishop John
of Kitros, Replies to Constantine Cabasilas, Bishop of Dyrrhachium (the modern
Durazzo or Durrce in Albania), P.G. 119: 976; Theodore Balsamon, Com-
mentary on Canon 7 of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicaea II), P.G. 137 :
912 ; William Beveridge (Beverigius), Notes on Theodore Balsamon's Com-
mentary on Canon Thirty of the Council of Trullo, P.G. 137 : 613-615 ; Matthew
Blastares, Syntagma Alphabeticum, P.G. 144 : 1060, 1288 ;James Goar, Eucho-
logium, p. 521. For more recent authors, cfr. A. Amanieu, "Antimense", DDC,
vol. I, col. 586 ; Joseph Braun, Der Christliche Altar in seiner geschictlichen
Entwicklung, 2 vols., Munich : Gtinther Koch, 1924, vol. I, pp. 94~95 ; Proto-
pas Giuseppe Ferrari, "EIAHTON e ANTIMINSION presso i Bizantini", Bol-
lettino delta Badia Greca di Grottaj errata, nuova serie, X (1956), 108-109 ; Cirillo
Korolevskij, "Antimensio, EI", vol. Ill, p. 498 ; K. Lubeck, "Das Antimin-
sion der Griechen", Der Katholik, IV (1916), 400-402 ; Constantine Nikolski,
Antimins, pp. 2-12 ; Constantine Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 7 ; H. Leonard Pass,
"Altar (Christian)", ERE, vol. I, p. 341 ; Sophrone Petrides, "Antimension",
EO, 193-194 ; Alphonse Raes, "Antimension, Tablit, Tabot", Proche-Orient
Chritien, I (195 1), 61 ; Andrew Shipman, "Antimensium", CE, vol. I, p. 563.

t6v avTtfjL7)v<riov, pi. toc avTtfjLTjvdta (to antimension, ta antimensia), in.
which case the word would be derived probably from the Greek prefix
avTt (anti- "instead of") and the Latin noun mensa and would signify
"something used instead of the Holy Table" 2 (perhaps this is a very
early witness of the use of the word mensa in its technical' sense of altar
table). Another, though less common, form is antiminsion, Gk. aviifjiv-
<nov, from the Greek prefix <xvtl and the Greek noun (xtvaos (minsos -
"plate or basket"), and the meaning would be "something used instead
of the plate (or basket)", referring either to the plate used by our Lord
at the Last Supper or to the Eucharistic basket or pyx used by the early
Christians to contain the Eucharistic bread during the celebration of
Mass which was soon substituted by a linen cloth (corporal). Petrides 3
also reports the spellings in Greek avTi[iY)criov (antim^sion), avTifryjaaiov
(antim^ssion), and avTi[ita(nov (antimfssion) which, however, are rare.
In the present work the form antimension, Gk. avTifjnrjvmov will be used
throughout when treating of this object as used in the Byzantine Rite.

In the Churches of the Byzantine Rite using Church Slavonic
(Paleoslav or Staroslav), the form Ahtiimhhci (Ahtimhhct>) plural
Ahthmhhcli (antimins, antiminsi), is used. 4 The Byzantine Melkites

use, in Arabic, cs — I (andimisi). 6

In Latin, the spelling antimensium (pi. antimensia) is used, 6 and
in English the Latin and the transliterated Greek and Slavonic forms are
found : antimensium, antimension, antimins ; plurals : antimensia, an-
timins 1

2 In the Byzantine Rite, the Altar (of Sacrifice) is usually called the "Holy
Table" or the "Throne". Cfr. Nikolskij, Ustav, pp. 4-7.
8 Petrides, DACL, loc. cit.

4 Cfr. Eugene Landisev, Kratkij Objasnitelnij Slovar, St. Petersburg,
L L. Tuzova, 1891, p. 4 ; Franz Von Miklosich, Lexicon Paleoslovenico-Graeco-
Latinum, emendatum auctum, Neudruck der Ausgabe Wien 1 862-1 865, Scientia
Verlag Aalen (Herstellung : Fotokop Reprogranscher Betraib GmbH, Darm-
stadt), 1963, p. 6 where he also reports the forms Nikolskij, Ustav, pp. 7-8 ;
Slu&ebnik, Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1956, pp. 130, 188.

6 Cfr. F. E. Brightman, Liturgies Eastern and Western, vol. I, Eastern
Liturgies, Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1896, p. 569 ; Phillip Nabaa', "The Anti-
mension in the Byzantine Church" (in Arabic), Al-Massarat, i934» P- 287-

6 The Latin spelling antimensium is often, but not always, used to in-
dicate the Antimensium Latinum, the Latin Rite antimension, which will be
discussed below, pp. 183-186.

7 Cfr. T. Lincoln Bouscaren, The Canon Law Digest, vol. IV, Milwaukee:

2. The altar in the Byzantine tradition is considered the Throve
of the Most High, and thus its surrogate, the antimension, is by assimi-
lation sometimes called 0p6vo<; (thrOnos) in Greek, 8 and Thronus in
Latin 9 documents. We shall see that the antimension supplies not only
for the consecration of the altar but also of the whole church or oratory,10
and hence it is sometimes termed the (Kathierosis), "the
consecration » (i.e. "that which supplies for the consecration of the altar
and sacred place"). 11

3. The antimension is sometimes improperly called "the Greek Cor-
poral" ; however, we shall see that the true corporal of the Byzantir.e
Rite is the ElXyjtov (eil6ton - "roll or wrapping") even though the
eileton in modern practice is used under the antimension. 12 The anti-
mension and eileton are not infrequently confused or used as synonyms.1*

The Bruce Publishing Co., 1958, pp. 266-268 ; Isabel Florence Hapgood,
Service Book of the Holy Orthodox Apostolic Church, 3rd edition, New York ;
Syrian Antiochian Orthodox Diocese of New York and All North America, 195°.
pp. xxix-xxx, and passim : Severien Salaville, An Introduction to the Study
of Eastern Liturgies (adapted from the French by John M. T. Barton), London :
Sands & Co. Ltd., 1938, pp. 152-155 ; Shipman, loc. cit. ; D. Sokolof, A Manual
of the Orthodox Church's Divine Services, New York and Albany ; Wynkoop
Hallenbeck Crawford Co., 1899, pp. 10-11.

8 St. Symeon of Thessalonica, Concerning the Hallowing of the Holy
Temple, P.G. 155: 334; Lubeck, op. cit., p. 410; Salaville, op. cit., p. 154,
and note 1, p. 2.

9 Pope Benedict XIV, in his Constitution Etsi Pastoralis VI, XVII-XIX
(CIC Fontes, vol. I, p. 744) uses this term. Cfr. also Placidus De Meester,
Rituale-Benedizionale Bizantino, Roma : Tipografia Leonina, 193°. P l64- cfr
below, pp. 126, 153.

10 Cfr. below, pp. 47-48.

11 Cfr. Ferrari, op. cit., p. 105 ; Salaville, op. cit., p. 154 ; Petrides, EO,
p. 198.

12 Cfr. below, pp. 1 10-124.

13 Cfr. Ferrari, op. cit., pp. 105-111 ; G. W. H. Lampe, A Patristic Greek
Lexicon, Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1961, fascicle I (1961), P- 416 : Raes, op.
cit., pp. 59, 64, 70, also below, pp. no ff. The Syrians, Malabarese Rite Christians,
and the Chaldeans use a consecrated wooden (occasionally stone) tablet (called
variously Tablitho, Tablith, Tablitha, Madhb'ho) in their fixed altars and as a
portable altar. To this they add a corporal which they call an antimension (andi-
misi). Cfr. Cfr. H. W. Codrington, Studies of the Syrian Liturgies, London :
Geo. E. J. Coldwell, Ltd., 1952 (Reprinted from Eastern Churches Quarterly.
I936-I937)-

CHAPTER TWO

HISTORICAL CONSPECTUS AND CANONICAL SOURCES

1. We have seen 1 that the paleochristian altar was originally a
portable one used in private homes and hidden places. However, after
the' Emperor Constantine granted legitimate civil status and freedom in
the Roman Empire to the Church in 313 A.D., the Domus Ecclesiae fell
more and more into disuse and other edifices were built specifically for
the purpose of worship in which the altar was fixed, immoveable. Con-
stantine himself ordered the construction of great Basilicas over the tomb
of the Apostles Peter and Paul, the Martyrs, and other Holy Places.
Even if in the beginning in some of these churches a portable altar may
have continued to be used, it soon became the custom to enclose the
tomb of the Martyr in the fixed high altar so that the Holy Mysteries
could be celebrated directly over the tomb. 2

2. At the same time, the portable altar was retained for missionaries,
desert recluses, and the military. Thus the historians Sozomen, Eusebius
of Caesarea, and Socrates mention that the Emperor Constantine had the
Holy Sacrifice celebrated for his soldiers in the field under a tent. 23 Soon
each Legion had its own church-tent with liturgical furnishings and with
attendant Priests and Deacons. 3

1 pp. 19-34, above.

2 Cfr. Ludwig Hertling, s.j. and Engelbert Kirschbaum, s.j.. The
Roman Catacombs and Their Martyrs (translated by M. Joseph Castelloe, s.j. ;
London : Darton, Longman & Todd, i960), pp. 165-166, 261-262 ; Pasqualb
Testini, Archeologia Christiana, (Rome : Desclee & Co., 1958), pp. 578-581 ;
Pasquale Testini, Le Catacombe e gli Antichimi Cimiteri Cristiani in Roma,
Rome : Cappelli Editore, 1966, p. 183.

2a Eusebius, Be Vita Constantini, II, cc. 12, 14, P.G. 20 : 989-992 ; So-
crates Historia Ecclesiastica, I, c. 18, P.G. 67 : 123-14 ; Sozomen, Historia Ec-
clesiastica, I, c. 8, P.G. 67 : 880-881. See also Shipman, op. ext., pp. 563-564.

3 Sozomen, loc. cit.

3. It seems that these first portable altars used in this manner were
complete (and thus fairly large) tables. We read in an encomium on
St. Marcian, which can be dated around 700 A.D., 4 that Bishop Theo-
dore of Syracuse placed a Mystic Table, which he calls an antimension,
in the mouth of a cave and celebrated the Holy Mysteries on it to exor-
cise the evil spirits which were seen and heard there and which disturbed
the worshippers at the nearby tomb of St. Marcian. 5 A Life of St. Willi-
bald, who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 725 A.D., contains the
Saint's description of the Basilica at Bethlehem, in which he tells that
there were two altars; the larger one was kept in the upper Basilica,
while the smaller one was carried down to the grotto of the Nativity for
the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and then removed after the
services. 6

4. In regard to the antimension-portable altar as a small and con-
veniently transported object which could be put on a table or any sui-
table flat surface, Fr. Cyril Korolevsky 7 opts for its origin around the
VI c. in Syria, where the Jacobites and Syrian Monophysites were per-
secuted by both the civil power and the official Church and were con-
strained to celebrate in hidden places and private homes. 8 Here the
antimension would be a consecrated wooden tablet or linen cloth. 9

5. In regard to this institute in the Byzantine Church, in a letter
written around the year 809 by St. Theodore the Studite (d. 826), Abbot
of the great monastery of Studios at Constantinople, to his disciple and
spiritual son Naukratios, a matter germane to our study is treated.
Theodore is replying to some doubts posed by Naukratios, specifically,
Naukratios' fourth question :

4 Cfr. Agostino Amore, San Marciano di Siracusa, Studio Archeologico-
agiografico, Citta del Vaticano : Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana (Spicilegium
Pontificii Athenaei Antoniani, no. 12), pp. 27-32, 75-91, and passim.

5 Encomium of St. Marcian, n. 11, AA.SS. 14 junii ; III, 281 ff.

6 Vita S. Willibaldi, c. 4, M.G.SS. XV, 98.

7 Cyril Korolevskij, "Antimension", Enciclopedia Italiana (Treccani),
vol. Ill, p. 498.

8 Cfr. Aziz S. Atiya, A History of Eastern Christianity, London : Methuen
& Co., 1968, pp. 169-199.

9 Cfr. Raes, op. cit., 59-60. They still use consecrated wooden tablets as
portable altars today. Confer above, pp. 22, 25, and below, pp. 33, 34.

Naukratios : "If there be a church in which the celebrant
commemorates a heretic 10 and the orthodox Priest possesses
a consecrated altar in the form of a wooden plank or a cloth, 11
is it expedient for him to place this altar in the church, at a
time when the aforesaid celebrant is not present, and to there
sacrifice in the correct (orthodox) manner ? " M

Theodore : "It is not expedient ; rather, out of necessity, he
should sacrifice in an ordinary home, choosing however, a more
cleanly part of the home." 13

Theodore does not use the word antimension specifically, but there
can be no doubt that he is speaking about it or its very similar ancestor.
Naukratios uses the word ©uaiocaxYjpiov (thysiasterion - "altar") to
name the consecrated plank or cloth used as a portable altar, and it is
precisely this designation that is later written or printed on the antimen-
sion, and usually not merely the word antimension, itself. 14

In the same vein, the Byzantine Co-Emperors Michael n Balbos
and Theophilus in a letter to the "Emperor of the Romans" Louis the
Pious on April io, 824, in which they expose their iconoclastic views about
not venerating images, after complaining of many alleged mal-practices
of the iconophile clergy write : "And some of them, despising the chur-
ches, 15 use tablet-ikons as altars and celebrate the Holy Sacrifice in
common homes." 16 Here it is a question of celebrating, it seems, upon
the wooden tablets on which ikons are normally painted. 17

6. Whatever we may say about the primitive origin of the antimen-
sion as a small portable object, it remains a fact that it was born of ne-

10 I.e. his inconoclastic Bishop or Superior.

11 ©uoiaorrjpiov xaffyyiaauivov £v otvS6vi 'y) ev oavloi

12 St. Theodore the Studite, Letters, P.G. 99 : 1056.

13 Ibidem.

14 Cfr. Raes, op. cit., p. 60.

15 I.e. the churches which the iconoclasts had defiled by removing the
relics and images and celebrating in them, or which the iconoclasts had con-
secrated without relics and were using.

16 Mansi, torn. XIV, col. 420 : "Nonnulli vero, spreta ecclesia, in com-
munibus domibus tabulis imaginum pro altariis utebantur et super eas sacrum
ministerium celebrabant."

17 Ikons are usually painted on tablets or slabs of wood. Cfr. Alberto
M. Amann, La Pittura Sacra Bizantina, Rome : Pontificium Institutum Orien-
talium Studiorum, 1957, passim. Leonid Ouspensky and Vladimir Lossky.
The Meaning of Icons, Boston : Boston Book & Art Shop, Inc., 1969, pp. 53~55>

cessity in troubled times, 18 and was soon adopted by the Byzantine
Church where it was widely diffused in the turmoil of the Iconoclastic
struggles of the VIII and IX centuries and their aftermath. 19

The antimension was the answer to two problems: the first was that
the orthodox christians were barred from their churches by the iconoclasts
and had to resort to celebrating the Holy Mysteries in private homes
and other places ; 20 for this they had to have some sort of portable altar
to sanctify the place and to follow the ancient tradition of celebrating
only on a consecrated altar. 21 Even when there was no active persecu-
tion, they did not want to celebrate in churches together with heretical
ministers or in churches which had been defiled by them. 22 The second
problem concerned the confusion resulting from the long-drawn-out
struggles : many altars had been consecrated without relics by Iconoclast
Bishops 23 or the presence of relics and canonical consecration remained
doubtful. At the same time, the authentic christians were anxious to
comply with the prescriptions of the Second Council of Nicea (787 A.D.),
in which the veneration of images and of relics was upheld, and parti-
cularly its seventh canon which decreed :

passim ; Fotis Kontoglous, Byzantine Iconography, {trans. C. Cavarnos), Bel-
mont, Massachusetts : Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, 1956,
passim.

18 Cfr. Ferrari, op. ext., pp. 109-110, where he says : "E quando, nel
periodo iconoclastico, gli eretici gettarono via da alcune Chiese le Reliquie, si
moltiplicarono, un po' per reazione, un po' per necessita, gli ED.Tjxdt (i.e. anti-
mensia - ed.) con Reliquie cucite." (And when during the Iconoclastic period,
the heretics cast the relics out from some churches, eilita (i.e. antimensia - ed.)
with relics sewn to them were multiplied, a bit by way of reaction, a bit out of
necessity.") Korolevskij, loc. cit. ; Lazar Mirkovic, Pravoslavna Liturgika,
(2 vols.), Sremski Karlovici : (Serbska Manastirska Shtamparija) 1918, 1920,
vol. I, p. 119; Nikolsky, Ustav, p. 7.

19 Koroloveskij, loc. cit. ; Jules Pargoire, L'Eglise byzantine de 52 7 a
847, Paris : J. Gabalda & Cie., 1905, p. 340 ; Shipman, op. cit., p. 563.

20 Cfr. St. Theodore Studite, loc. cit.

21 Cfr. Nicholas Martin Bliley, Altars According to the Code of Canon
Law, Washington D.C. : The Catholic University, of America Press, 1927, pp.
3o-34. 75. 103.

22 St. Theodore Studite, loc. cit. ; Theodore Balsamon, Commentary
on Canon 7 of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicea II), loc. cit.

23 It must be remembered that Iconoclastic fury was directed not only
against the veneration of images, but also against the honoring of relics. Cfr.
Balsamon, loc. cit. ; Ferrari, loc. cit., and below pp. 46 ff. and p. 117.

"If any church has been consecreated without the sacred
relics of Martyrs, relics are now to be deposited therein with
the customary prayers. A Bishop who henceforward conse-
creates a church without holy relics is to be deposed as a trans-
gressor of ecclesiastical Tradition." 24

To obviate all difficulties, antimensia, since they had been properly
consecrated and contained relics of Martyrs, were used on all altars
which were uncanonical or at least suspect as such. 25

7. To sum up : the word antimension in the sense of a portable altar
is first met with in the VIII c. in the Encomium on St. Marcian of Sy-
racuse, but here it refers to a whole (wooden) table which can be carried
about. The concept of a consecrated cloth is first met with in the written
sources with St. Theodore the Studite at the beginning of the IX century
but without it being referred to by the name antimension. The II Council
of Nicea in the VIII c. ordained that all churches must be consecrated
with relics and the antimension was used to supply in case of deficiency.
After this time, the sources begin to proliferate, and the name antimen-
sion becomes inseparably associated with a piece of cloth consecrated by
a Bishop and containing relics, used as a portable altar. 26 It now be-
comes common and this institute of the Byzantine Church is treated by
early Greek canonical commentators 27 such as St. Nicephoros the Con-

24 For Greek text of this Canon see : Conciliorum Oecumenorum Decreta
(Edit. Centro di Documentazione, Istituto per le Scienze Religiose - Bologna ;
curantibus Josepho Alberigo, Perikle-P. Joannou, Claudio Leonardi, Paolo
Prodi ; consultante Huberto Jedin ; Freiburg im Breisgau : Herder, 1962), pp.
120-121 ; also P.G. 137 : 909-912. For the Latin text see Johannes Domimicus
Mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum Nova et Amplissima Collectio, vol. XIII (Florence,
1767), p. 751 ; also P.G. 137 : 910-911. For English text cfr. : D. Cummings.
The Rudder (Pedalion), Chicago : The Orthodox Christian Educational Society.
1957, P- 438 ; also : George Mastrantonis, Ancient Epitome of the Sacred Ca-
nons of the Eastern Orthodox Church, St. Louis, Mo. : Ologos, no date, p. 18.
Cfr. also CICO Fonti (Serie I), fascicolo IX, torn. I, part. I, pp. 260-261, which
contains Greek, Latin and French texts.

25 Cfr. Shipmann, op. cit., pp. 563-564. Originally as a safety measure,
then an abuse, and finally as a universal custom, the antimension came to be
used on all altars, even properly and certainly consecrated fixed altars. Cfr.
below, pp. n8i

26 Cfr. below, pp. 105-109.

a7 It is outside the scope of the present work to discuss in greater detail
the history of the canonical sources of this institute (the antimension) ; for
further information about the source and biography of the canonical commen-

fessor, Patriarch of Constantinople (d. 828) ; Theodore Balsamon (d. ca.
1196) ; Archbishop John of Kitros (near Thessalonica) (XIII c.) ; Pa-
triarch Manuel of Constantinople (XIII c.) ; Matthew Blastares (wrote
Syntagma alphabeticum in 1335) ; Nilos Kerameos, Patriarch of Con-
stantinople (1380-1388) ; Matthew, Patriarch of Constantinople (ca.
1400); and St. Symeon of Thessalonica (Saloniki) (d. 1429).

tators, cfr. CICO Fonti, serie II, fascicolo V : Isidorus Croce, Textus Selecti ex
operibus Commentatorum Byzantinorum Iuris Ecclesiastici, pp. 1-35. Also cfr.
Amanieu, DDC, col. 586 ff. ; Braun, op. cit., I, pp. 92-94 ; Carolus De Clercq,
Fontes Iuridici Ecclesiarum Orientalium, Rome : Pont. Institutum Orientalium
Studiorum, 1967, passim ; Lubeck, op. cit., pp. 402 ff. ; Petrides, DACL, col.
2320 ff. ; Petrideo, EO, pp. 194 ff. ; Raes, op. cit., pp. 60 ff.

CHAPTER THREE

THE OUTWARD FORM OF THE BYZANTINE ANTIMENSION

We have seen that originally the antimension consisted of an entire
table of wood or of metal, a movable or portable altar on a rather large
scale, probably furnished with legs, etc. 1 When it became a small and
truly portable object, a specific form came into common use in the By-
zantine Church. It is the origin and development of this form which we
shall now undertake to study, under its main characteristics of the ma-
terial (and size) used for the portable altar, its ornamentation, and the
relics of saints attached to it.

I. Material and Dimensions

i. Even when the antimension had become reduced in size to an
easily portable object, it could still be either a wooden tablet or a piece
of cloth, 2 but soon the more convenient cloth antimension became almost
exclusively predominant. Father Braun believes that some few wooden
antimensions were used until the XIV c. although they became very
unusual after that time. 3 Petrides says : "The Byzantines at first made
use indifferently of a plank or a piece of cloth, but then they kept only
this latter type of portable altar." 4 The cause for this change would, of

1 Cfr. above, p. 42 ff. ; also Braun, op. cit., vol. I, 91-95. 522.

2 Cfr. St. Theodore Studtte, loc. cit. ; Braun, op. cit., I, p. 522 sees
this as the first definite mention of cloth antimensions.

3 Braun, loc. cit. "Holzerne Portatilien weren hiernach zwar noch im 14.
Jahrhundert im griechischen Ritus nicht ganz ausser Gebraucht, doch waren
sie jedenfalls schon weinigstens seit dem 11. Jahrhundert nicht mehr das Ge-
wohnliche."

4 Petrides, DACL, col. 2319 : "Les Byzantines se sont d'abord servis

4 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

course, be the greater facility of carrying a folded or rolled up cloth,
rather than a somewhat bulky wooden board. Father Salaville remarks
a propos : "It (the cloth antimension) is, in fact, more portable than our
Latin altar-stones, or than the wooden boards designed for the same
purpose and still in use in the other Eastern Rites." 5 Petrovskij notes
that very exceptionally antimensia were made of paper, 6 but this is spe-
cifically forbidden in modern times ; thus Archpriest Bulgakov :

It (the antimension) must not be made from writing paper ;
'he who dares to celebrate on such an antimension sins seriously,
as one who despises the Divine Mysteries, and is liable to sus-
pension and excommunication on the part of the ecclesiastical
authorities...' If such an antimension is found, it must be brought
to the bishop and a suitable new one requested. 7

St. Symeon of Thessalonica tells us that the cloth used for the
antimension is usually linen because linen comes from the earth, just
as the Savior's tomb was of the earth ; 8 as we shall see below, the anti-
mension also symbolizes the burial shroud of Christ. In modern times,

indiff Bremen t d'une planche ou d'une piece d'etoffe, puis n'ont garde que cette
derniere sorte d'autel portatif."

5 Salaville, op. ext., p. 153 ; cfr. also Raes, op. cit., pp. 70, 70. (We might
note at this point that the Byzantine fixed altar, whether consecrated or used
with an antimension, is usually made of wood. Cfr. Braun, op. cit., I, pp. 115-
117; also below, p. 110. The author has seen in the Museum attached to
the residence of the Serbian Orthodox Patriarch in Belgrade, an antimension
cosisting of a design and words inscribed in black ink on white paper, affixed
to a wooden board resembling a bread cutting board even as to handle and hole
for hanging (see photograph in Appendix II, p. 340). I was not able to ascetain
whether or not there were relics embedded in the board underneath the paper,
as there was no noticeable protrusion. The inscription, translated from the Old
Slavonic, is as follows : "This altar of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ
is consecrated for the Temple of our Holy Father Nicholas, Archbishop and
Wonderworker of Myra, under the rule of the illustrious Roman Emperor and
King of Hungary Leopold II, through the sacerdotal action of His Excellency
the Archbishop of Karlovici and of all the Imperial and Royal domains of the
Serbian People and of Valacho, the Metropolitan, Lord Stephen of Stratomirovic,
in the year 1791, the month of December, on the sixth day, at Karlovici."

6 A. Petrovskij, "Antimins", Pravoslavskaja Enciklopedia, vol. I, col. 803.

7 C. V. Bulgakov, Nastoljnaja Kniga dlja Svjascenno-Cerkovno-Sluiitelej ,
Harkov : Tipografija Gubernskago Pravinienija, 1900 (photomechanically re-
produced Graz, Austria : Akademischen Druck - u. Verhagsanstalt, 1965), p. 709.

* P.G. 155 : 333-

canonical and liturgical sources specify either linen or silk ; 9 thus an
Ukaz (decree) of the Holy Synod of Moscow in 1862 specified for the
Russian Orthodox Church that the antimension be made either from
linen or silk. 10 Of the antimensia which the present writer has examined
in the churches and museums of southern Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, the
Middle East, Russia, and Ukraine, and the United States of America,
the medieval examples have been almost exclusively of linen ; while
among the modern antimensia a distinction may be made : in the Greek
Byzantine Church linen antimensia predominate, while in the Russian
Byzantine Church the use of silk (or satin or taffeta) is preponderant
(even though silk is less durable). 11.

2. The Byzantine fixed altar is rectangular in shape ; for as Arch-
priest Constantine Nikolskij says :

"It is square (four-cornered) because the sacrifice that
takes place on it is meant for the four corners of the world, and
the four corners of the world come to the altar to partake of
the Body and Blood of Christ." 12

Whether or not this is probably a post-factum argument we leave
to the liturgical symbolists ; the fact is that the modern fixed altar for
practical or symbolic purposes is always rectangular (round altars were
not unknown in the early Byzantine East). 13 It is not surprising to find
that the surrogate of the fixed altar, the antimension, is always a rectan-

9 Cfr. Braun, op. cit., I, p. 519 ; Svet. St. DusankS, "Antimins kao Naucni
Objekat" ; Crkva Kalendar Srpske Pravoslavnje Patrijarsije za Prostu ig4y Godinu,
Belgrade : Stamparija "Radjenkovid", 1947, p. 60 ; Lazar Murkovic, Pra-
voslavna Liturgika, 2 vols., Sremski Karlovci : 1918, vol. I, p. 119 ; Petrides, EO,
P. 193-

10 Cfr. Petrovskij, loc. cit., and Petrides, DIC, I, col. 1389. These two
authors disagree, the former claiming that antimensia are more often made of
linen, while the latter opts for silk ; I believe the solution to this difficulty is
between the usages of medieval and modern times, and between the various
branches of the Byzantine Rite. Cfr. also P.E. (sic), "Russkije Antiminsi",
Zurnal Moskovskoj Patriarkhii, 1964, no. 2, pp. 70-72 ; Miroslav Marusyn,
Ordinum Pontificalium in Euchologio Kiovensi saec. XVI expositio, Rome: Edi-
tiones Catholicae Universitatis Ucrainorum S. Clementis Papae, 1966, p. 65.

11 Silk has more tendency to crack when folded and unfolded in daily
use than linen. Cfr. below, p. 81.

12 Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 5.

13 Cfr. Braun, op. cit., I, pp. 245-249, pp. 187-191.

gular piece of cloth, either square or oblong, whose dimensions have
varied greatly during various periods of history. Some antimensia were
large enough to cover the whole mensa of the fixed altar and Cottas Ve-
netia mentions an antimension which measured 1.5 meters (ca. five feet)
on each side. 14 Naturally, the inner and outer limits of its dimensions
are found in the minimum size necessary to conveniently place thereon
both the chalice and the diskos (paten) 15 during the Divine Liturgy (al-
lowing a safety margin for any particles of the Eucharist which may fall
upon the antimension when it is used as the analog of the Roman cor-
poral), and the maximum size within which the antimension can be
conveniently carried when folded (when not in use it is folded four times,
like the Roman corporal) 16 or spread out on the altar when in use in
such a manner that it will not interfere with the Artophorion (Taber-
nacle), hand-cross, and other liturgical furnishings. 17

3. In medieval times, it seems that there were sometimes diminutive
altar cloths sewn onto the antimension, 18 and often also four small pieces

14 Cottas Venetia, Contribution a I'Etude de quelques Tissus Liturgiques,
"Atti del V Congresso Internazionale di Studi Bizantini", Roma, 1936 (Vol. VI
di Studi Bizantini e Neoellenici); torn. II, Roma : Tipografia dello Stato, 1940,
p. 97. Cfr. also our chart "Some Modern Printed Antimensia Compared", p. 307,
on which the largest modern antimension recorded there is 27 3/4 inches by
183/4 inches (69.4 cm x 46.9 cm) - the smallest is 13 1/2 inches by 13 1/2
inches (33.8 cm x 33.8 cm).

15 Cfr. P.E., loc. cit. ; Nikolskij, Antimins, pp. 112-113. The diskos is
the paten of the Byzantine rite ; it is usually furnished with a rim or lip to
prevent any crumbs of the Eucharistic Bread from falling off, and customarily
(especially among the Orthodox), has a foot or pedestal lower than, but similar
to, that of the Chalice. Cfr. Donald Attwater, The Christian Churches of the
East, 2 vols., vol. I, Churches in Communion with Rome, Milwaukee : The Bruce
Publishing Co., 1961, pp. 33 (facing), 42 ; Archbishop Benjamin, Novaja Skrizal,
St. Petersburg : I. L. Tuzova, 1908, pp. 20, 161, 163, 172, 242 ; Isabel Florence
Hapgood, Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church (3rd
revised edition), New York, Syrian Antiochian Orthodox Diocese of New York
and All North America, 1956, p. xxi ; Nikolaus Liesel and Tibor Makula,
The Eucharistic Liturgies of the Eastern Churches, Collegeville : The Liturgical
Press, 1963, pp. 194 ff., 226 ff. ; Salaville, op. cit., pp. 113 (facing), 141-142.

16 Cfr. Bulgakov, op. cit., pp. 815, 826, who gives this order for folding :
top, bottom, left, right.

17 Cfr. Archbishop Benjamin, op. cit., pp. 17-27.

18 Cfr. St. Symeon of Thessalonica, op. cit., P.G. 155 : 333 ; Braun,
op. cit., I, p. 523 ; Lubeck, op. cit., p. 408 ; Pedalion (Cummings), p. 438 ; Pe-
trides, DTC, I, col. 1389; Salaville, op cit., p. 152, 155.

of cloth (hyphasmata) bearing the representations or names of the four
Evangelists were sewn onto the corners of the antimension identical to
those affixed both then and now to the corners of the fixed consecrated
altar ; 19 these usages have since disappeared in regard to the antimen-
sion. 20

4. In modern practice, among the Orthodox and those Catholics who
follow the more traditional usages of the Byzantine Rite, the antimen-
sion is a single piece of cloth, usually hemmed at least on those sides
where there is no selvage; among other Byzantine Rite Catholics, 21 the
antimension usually has a lining of colored silk or linen sewn onto its
reverse side. This lining is probably meant to keep the antimension
from wearing out too quickly ; 22 perhaps it is also meant to be a species
of eileton. 23

II. Ornamentation and Inscriptions

The first antimensions were very jejune as to decoration, and have
varied in various periods of history as we shall see below, but the main
inscriptions have been traditional from the very beginning.

1. The first antimensions were very simple as to ornamentation,
and all painted or drawn by hand, mostly in black ink on white cloth. 24
Pauline Johnstone says :

19 Cfr. St. Symeon of Thessalonica, op. ext., pp. 134, 153. Also Amanieu,
op. ext., col. 587 ; Goar, op. cit., p. 181 ; Petrides, loc. cit., Ignace Ephrem II
Rahmani, Les Liturgies Orientales et Occidentales, Beirut : Imprimerie Patriar-
chate Syrienne, 1929, p. 50.

20 Father Salaville, op. cit., p. 155 ; would like to see some of these
practices restored : "And, when they celebrate outside a church, why should
they not have cloths sewn on to the antimension, as Simeon of Thessalonica
recommends ?" ; the present writer believes that this should not be done unless
it becomes general practice among the Orthodox, which it is not at the present.
Cfr. below, p. 109. As a matter of fact, the pictures, symbols, or names of the
Evangelists are usually printed on the corners of the modern antimension.

21 E.g. the Ukrainians, Ruthenians and some Melkites ; cfr. our chart
Some Modern Printed Antimensia Compared, p. 427.

22 Cfr. Salaville, op. cit., p. 153.

23 Cfr. below, pp. 84, 111-114.

24 P.E., op. cit., no. 2, pp. 75-78, no. 3, pp. 62-65; Nikolskij, Antimins,

"Most writers have considered that the medieval antimension
was embroidered, but Stefanescu has put forward the theory
that this was never so, and it was always painted or printed.
This seems reasonable when it is considered that the raised em-
broidery could overturn the Chalice or catch falling crumbs of
the Host in its threads. The modern antimension is undoubtedly
always printed. 25

The ornamentation usually consisted principally of a cross, of the
type called "nikaphorion," 26 that is, the cross of victory with the lance
and the sponge leaning upon it, and especially with the inscription IC XC
NIKA, 27 and often standing on a stylistic representation of the hill of
Golgotha ; the Greeks used the Greek or Latin cross, while the Slavs
used especially the three-barred cross. 28

2. In the late middle ages, an image of the dead Body of Christ
(the Amnos) 29 begins to appear on the antimension; in the XVI and XVII

plates at end of book ; Raes, op. ext., p. 62 ; Evangelistos Theodorou, "Anti-
mension" ; Threskeutike kai Ethnike Enkyklopaideia, tomos 2, pp. 870-871 ;
V6n6tia, op. cit., pp. 87-102 ; and below, pp. 328 rT.

26 Cfr. Pauline Johnstone, The Byzantine Tradition in Church Embroi-
dery, London : Alec Tiranti, Ltd., 1967, p. 24; I. D. Stefanescu, "Autels, tissus
et broderies liturgiques", Analecta Universitatea Din Bucaresti, Institutum de
Istoria Artei, II, 1944, p. 113.

26 I.e. "Victory-bearing" ; cfr. P.E., op. cit., no. 2, pp. 76-77 ; Nikolskij,
op. cit., plates at end of book ; Venetia, op. ext., p. 97. Below pp. 328 ff.

27 I.E. "Jesus Christ Conquers", or "Jesus Christ Victorious", according
to the way one interprets the Byzantine monogram fc" (Jesus) xc (Christ) NIKA
(conquers) ; in ecclesiastical Greek, the letter sigma (s) is not usually 2 but C.
This monogram has always enjoyed great popularity among the Byzantines and
is to be found carved in their churches ; woven into their textiles, and stamped
onto their "prosphora" or altar-breads (for that matter it is sometimes found on
Latin Hosts). The Slavs have taken over the same monogram but using Cyrillic
letters, and using either xc f°r ^e Holy Name, or Jjjg x~p£- The letters
NH are sometimes joined thus : ^ so that we may have

For illustrations of these and interpretation of the 3-barred Cross, cfr. : Liturgical
Catechism on the Sacrifice of the Divine Liturgy, Pittsburgh : St. Cyril and Me-
thodius Seminary Press, 1954, P- 9 ! see a^so : Donald Attwater, A Catholic
Dictionary, 3rd ed., New York : The MacMillan Co., 1961, pp. 129-130 ; Raes,
op. cit., pp. 62-63.

Amnos |'Au.v6c) is the Greek word for Lamb Slavonic: Agnec (Agnetz).

Nl|KA d£h NHlKd

28 Greek Cross : ; Latin Cross : — ; 3-barred Slavic cross :

centuries, the whole burial scene or the Deposition from the Cross (the
Threne) appears on the epitaphios 30 and also on the antimension ; 31
the writer in lurnal Moskovskoj Patriarkhti, who goes under the initials
"P. E." gives what he calls the "canonical foundation" for placing the
icon of the Deposition of Christ on the antimension : Canon 83 of the

80 Also on the aer, or large chalice veil, from which the epitaphios is said
to have developed ; the epitaphios (Slavonic Plaicinica) is a large icon painted
on cloth or canvas and richly embroidered, which depicts the dead Christ alone
or with the mourning Mother of God, Angels, Mary Magdalen, Mary Cleophas,
Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus ; it is used on Good Friday when it is
carried around the church during Vespers and Matins, attended by great marks
of veneration and devotion, symbolizing the funeral procession of Jesus. For
those, interested in more information on these services, cfr. : E. Mercenier, La
Priere Des Eglises de Rite Byzantin (2 volumes, with the second volume in 2
parts, have appeared thus far) Chevtogne, Belgium : Monastere de Chevtogne,
1948, vol. II Les Fetes, 2° partie L' Acathiste, La Quinzaine de Pdques. L' Ascension
et la Pentecote, pp. 167-254. For the historical development of these objects,
cfr. : P.E., op. cit., no. 1, pp. 76-78, no. 2, pp. 75-78, no. 3, pp. 57-65 ; John-
stone, op. cit., pp. 25-26 ; A. Petrovskij, "Antimins", Pravoslavskaja Entsiklo-
pedija, vol. I, col. 804-806 ; Raes, op. cit., pp. 62-63 '> Venetia, op. cit., pp. 97-98.

31 Because the epitaphios becomes aggregated to the antimension, cfr.
ibidem, especially Venetia. The reason for this is that the antimension, like the
epitaphios, represents the Burial Shroud of Christ. This symbolism was first
explained by St. Isadore Pelusiota (V c. ; P.G. 78 : 264) and St. Germanos, Pa-
triarch of Constantinople (715-730 A.D. ; cfr. Nilo Borgia, II0 Commentario
Liturgico di S. Germano Patriarca Costantinopolitano e la Versione Latina di
Anastasio Bibliotecario, Grottaferrata : Badia S. Nilo, 191 2, p. 28) with regard
to the eileton or corporal ; St. Symeon of Thessalonica (d. 1429 A.D. ; P.G.
*55 : 333) seems to be, according to Petrides (DTC, col. 1390). the first one to
apply this symbolism specifically to the antimension. This was a natural trans-
ference, since the antimension had begun to take the place of the eileton as a
corporal. At any rate, this is the symbolism accepted by all later writers : cfr.
M. Bulgakov, Patriarkh Nikon v dele ispravljenia cerkovnych knig i obriadov,
Moscow, 1881, p. 67 ; P.E., op. cit., no. 3, p. 57 ; John Glenn King, D.D., The
Rites and ceremonies of the Greek church in Russia ; containing and account of
its doctrine, worship and discipline, London, 1772, p. 162, n. 3; Korolevskij, op.
cit., p. 498 ; MiRKOVid, op. cit., p. 120. Nikolskij, Antimins, pp. 165-166. Pe-
trides (DTC, col. 1389) and Venetia (loc. cit.) note that this image is now always
found on the antimension. The Latin Corporal also symbolizes the Shroud :
cfr. Amanieu, DDC, col. 587. The Ambrosian Rite, at the point in the Solemn
High Mass where the corporal is opened and spread on the altar has a prayer
called "Super sindonem", i.e. "Over the Shroud". Cfr. : Petrides, EO, p. 198.
A lesser symbolism of the antimension is the "Throne of God" because Christ's
sacramental Presence in the Eucharist rests upon it during the Divine Liturgy ;
cfr. above, pp. 24, 25, 126, 153; also cfr. Symeon, loc. cit., also the prayers used at

VI Ecumenical Council (Trullo - 692 A.D.) says that Christ is to be shown
on icons in human form and not through a mere symbol (e.g. a lamb) :

"The meaning of this conciliar decree is that in ecclesiastical
art — and in particular on antimensia — one need not create
and produce only symbolic subjects with allegorical expressions
ofsacred things. Every subject in a sacred representation should
presented clearly, in a defined manner and conformed to the
doctrine of the Church, to tradition, and to the prescriptions of
canon law. The icon of the Deposition of Christ in the Tomb
when depicted on Antimensia corresponds to all these ex-
igencies." 32

Soon the Theotokos becomes prominent and thereafter Joseph of
Arimathea and Nicodemus, mourning angels and John the Evangelist
and Mary Cleophas are added. The four evangelists now appear reg-
ularly, either on four small squares of cloth sewn to the four corners of
the antimension 38 or more commonly depicted (either full figures, sym-
bols, or even just their names) directly on the antimension. 34 The figures
begin to proliferate and we find : The Eternal Father, the Trinity, the
Holy Spirit (as a Dove), the instruments of the Passion, St. John Chryso-
stom and St. Basil the Great, etc. 35 The influence of baroque art was

the consecration of the Antimension: Goar, Eucholgion, p. 518; Archprist Alexios
Von Maltzew, Begrdbnis-Ritus und einige specielle und alterthamliche Gottes-
dienste der Orthodox-Katolischen Kirche des Morgenlandes, Berlin : Karl Sie-
gesmund, 1898, part. II, 120-124.

32 P.E., op. cit., no. 3, p. 70.

38 Hyphasmata. Cfr. above, pp. 36-37, below pp. 56-57, 183.

84 Cfr. : C. V. Bulgakov, op. cit., p. 710, prohibits the representation on
the antimension of the Evangelists solely under the aspect of their symbolic ani-
mals ; however, this seems to be a quite early symbol — they are shown thus on
the paleo-Christian mosaics in the Apse of the Titulus of Pudens (St. Puden-
tiana) in Rome, and in Ravenna. St. Irenaeus (d. ca. 202 A.D.) was the first of
the Fathers of the Fathers of the Church to see (Adv. Haer. Ill,, 2, 8 ; P.G.
7: 885-890) in the four creatures of Ezekiel's vision (Ezekiel 1: 5-14; 108-17;
also Apocalypse (Revelation 4: 5-8) the symbols of the four Evangelists. They
are generally assigned thus: St. Matthew^ human or angel; St. Mark^lion ;
St. Luke^ox ; St. John^ Eagle. However, St. Irenaeus himself attributed the
lion to St. John and the eagle to St. Mark, and both traditions co-exist in By-
zantine iconography, especially before the end of the XVI c. Cfr. Leonid Ou-
spensky and Vladimir, Lossky, The Meaning of Icons, Boston : Boston Book
& Art Shop, Inc., 1969, p. 115. For Evangelists on antimensia; cfr. also:
M. Bulgakov, loc. cit. ; Vbn£tia, loc. cit.

86 Cfr. illustrations in P.E., op. cit., no. 3, pp. 62-65 ; Nikolskij, Antimins,

felt in Greece and Russia. 36 In Romania, our Lord is shown often on the
Cross or in a chalice. 37

Liibeck complains that the images on the antimension "In gener. 1
are drawn in a manner that is very common and lacking in arti
quality." 38 Since the time (1916) of the article written by Liibeck, at
least the artistic quality of the antimensia has improved. We would
like to call attention, in particular, to the antimensia printed by the
Vatican Press 39 for the Russian Catholics ; the Deposition upon it is a
copy of a famous fresco dating back to 1164 from the monastery ( f
St. Panteleimon, Nerezi, Yugoslavia, 40 which has been reproduced in
six colors on the antimensia.

3. In the XVII century mechanically printed antimensia became
common. P. E. notes that :

"The introduction of printing into Russia and also the
development of engraving on wood and metal led to the idea
of preparing printed antimensia, which appeared among us only
a few decades after there was printed at Moscow the first book,
the Epistolary (Apostol) (1564). Up until the present moment,
no author who has studied the history of antimensia has been
able to discover an antimension which was printed before the
first half of the XVII century... The oldest extant printed
antimensia are those printed in Kiev (1627), and the ones
preserved in Moscow (1652, 1659, x664, 1668, etc.)." 41

Petrovskij, after having discussed various antimensia drawn and
lettered by hand, says "The printed antimensia are distinguished by a

ch. VII and the plates at the end of the book (25 plates of antimensia dating
from 1 149 to 1797), illustrations in Theodorou, loc. cit.

36 Cfr. P.E. no. 3, pp. 61-66.

37 The bust of our slain Lord appears above the rim of the Chalice. Cfr.
Venetia, op. cit., p. 98.

38 Lubeck, op. cit., p. 398 : "Immer jedoch weist es auf der Innenseite
fast die ganze Flache fiillende Bilder aus der Leidensgeschichte des Herrn auf,
welche, zumeist in recht gezohnlicher und wening kunstlerischer Zeichnung,
schwarz aufgedruckt oder aber, allerdings nur sehr selten, in Stickerei ange-
bracht sind" ; also Duganie, op. cit., pp. 62-63.

39 2,000 copies in January, 1967, and 2,500 copies in February. 1968.

40 Cfr. NCE, II, p. 932 ; Alberto M. Amman, La Pittura Sacra Bizantina,
Rome : Pontificium Institutum Orientalium Studiorum, 1957, pp. 101-103, and
Kostas Papaioannou, Byzantine and Russian Painting, New York : Funk &
Wagnalls, 1965, p. 178.

41 P.E., op. cit., no. 1, 76-78.

a greater variety and complexity of design." 42 Venetia underlines the
fact that with the XVIII century the widespread use of printed anti-

mensia begins. 43

4. On some antimensia consecrated by Catholic Byzantine Rite
Bishops, the innovation of having the consecrating bishop's "Coat of
Arms" printed thereon or added by means of a rubber stamp has begun.
Thus the antimensia consecrated in Rome by Bishop John Bucko, Apo-
stolic Visitator of the Ukrainian Catholics of the Byzantine Rite who
reside in the territory of Western Europe (His Excellency is said to con-
secrate 600 antimensia per month for distribution by the Sacred Congre-
gation of the Oriental Church), bears his episcopal coat of arms imprinted
by means of a rubber stamp. Those consecrated by the Ukrainian and
Ruthenian Catholic Bishops in the United States of America usually have
the Bishop's coat of arms printed directly on the antimension. The By-
zantine Melkite (Catholic) antimensia printed in Egypt in 1948 bear the
printed coat of arms of the late beloved Patriarch Maximos IV of Antioch.
In general, the use of a Coat of Arms by a Bishop is a development of
Latin medieval heraldry and is unknown to Orthodox Bishops and
those Byzantine Catholics who follow them closely.

As a seal, Orthodox bishops usually use a cross or the representa-
tion of a hand raised in blessing ; thus the Russian Catholic Bishop
Vladyka Andrei Katkoff, Ordaining Bishop for the Byzantine Rite in
Rome and Apostolic Visitator for all Russians of the Byzantine Rite
outside of Russia, uses a simple three-barred Slavic Cross for this seal ;
antimensia consecrated by him bear his name and titular See (Nauplia)
but no coat of arms.

5. In regard to the inscriptions, the earliest antimensions still
extant have the name of the consecrating bishop and other particulars of
consecration inscribed on the cloth, usually at top or bottom or along
the sides. Manuel Charitoupolis, Patriarch of Constantinople (XIII c),
after noting that the antimension is made from the cloth which is used
on the fixed altar during its consecration, says that this cloth is "cut into
pieces and having been inscribed (or painted ? graphomenou : ypcccpofiivou),
is given to priests, who may not celebrate without it." 44

42 Petrovskij, op. ext., col. 804.

43 Venetia, op. cit., p. 97.

44 P. G. 119 : 809 ; for early inscriptions and inscriptions in general see :
Nikolskij, Antintins, ch. VIII ; for modern inscriptions in Greek see : De

Often the church or Priest for which the antimension is destined is
specified. 45 Even if the rest of the ornamentation and inscriptions on
the antimension are printed (mechanically), the Bishop must sign it with
his own hand. 46 The particulars of the consecration usually give, besides
the name of the Bishop and his See, the day, month and year of the con-
secration, the years being computed both from the supposed date of the
Creation of the World and from the traditional date of the birth of

Meester, op. cit., pp. 236-237 ; Goar, op. cit., p. 663 ; Lubeck, op. ext., pj>.
399-400 ; Petrides, EO, p. 200 ; Theodorou, loc. cit. ; P. M. Tremplas, "Anti-
mension", Megale Ellinike Enkyklopaideia, tomos 4, pp. 880-881 ; for moder.i
inscriptions in Slavonic, see P.E., op. cit., no. 3, pp. 66-68 who gives this in-
scription suggested by Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow to the Holy Synod on
October 23, 1893 : on the upper part (across the top) of the antimension : "This
antimension is consecrated by the grace of the Most Holy and Life-giving Spirit
as Holy Table (altar), so that there may be offered on it the Divine Sacrifice of
the Body and Blood of the Lord in the Holy Liturgy" and on the lower part
(across the bottom) : "With the blessing (i.e. permission) of the Holy Governing
Synod, this has been consecrated by His Excellency N.N. in the year from the
creation of the world..., from the Nativity of Christ..., in the month of... on the..."
and "Consigned to be used for celebration in the church of N.N. (name of my-
stery or saint to whom church dedicated." (Note that identification of the relics
is not ordinarily specified). The "Holy Governing Synod" was the Council of
Bishops, with a lay "Oberprokurer" or head official, which was founded to rule
the Russian Orthodox Church when Tsar Peter the Great suppressed the Moscow
Patriarchate in 1721 ; the Moscow Patriarchate was restored only on the eve
of the Bolshevik revolution November 21, 1917 — hence the reference to the
Holy Synod is now obsolete. See also Petrovskij, op. cit., col. 805-806 ; Ko-
rolevskij, op. cit., p. 498.

45 P.E., op. cit., (see preceding note) ; MirkoviC, op. cit., p. 120 ; Xikol-
skij, Antimins, loc. cit., and pp. 61, 81 ff ; Petrides, DTC, col. 1390 ; Petrov-
skij, op. cit., col. 805, 807.

46 Bulgakov, Nastoljnaja Kniga, p. 710 : "Every antimension must be
signed by the Bishop who consecrated it." De Meester, op. cit., p. 159 ; Ni-
kolskij, Antimins, ch. VIII ; Nikolskij, Ustav, pp. 8-9 where he says that the
ecclesiastical authorities "are obliged to be vigilant to see to it that the anti-
mension is signed by the bishop who consecrated it." The present writter has seen
an antimension in the Greek Orthodox church (St. Andrew) in Rome which was
consecrated by His Holiness Athenagoras I, Patriarch of Constantinople in Oc-
tober, 1952, which had just the month and year writen in and had not been
signed. The Patriarch's name was printed in an inscription which ran around the
four sides of the antimension. I have also seen an antimension, printed in Egypt
in 1948, consecrated by Patriarch Maximos IV of Antioch, which had no hand-
written inscription nor particulars of consecration ; all it had was an inscription
printed in Greek and Arabic telling that this was an altar, and the tropar of

Christ. 47 Thus, the above-mentioned antimensia printed by the Va-
tican Press in January, 1967, and consecrated in the same month by
His Excellency Most Rev. Andrew Katkoff, bear on the bottom edge the
following inscription (in Church Slavonic) : "Consecrated by the Most
Reverend Andrew, by the mercy of God Bishop of Nauplia, in the year
since the founding of the world 7475, from the Birth of Christ 1967, in
the month of January, the J2th day. (signed) Andrew, Bishop of Na-
uplia. 48

6. In regard to the data of consecration, Venetia says that "This
inscription is indispensable; it cannot be lacking." 49 Metropolitan Philaret
of Moscow, in a report to the Holy Synod on October 23, 1863, with
regard to the form of the inscription then in common use (and which he
was criticizing) on the antimensia of the Russian Orthodox Church,
declared :

"This inscription cannot be considered inviolable, because
the inscriptions on antimensia have had different forms during
various epochs ; because no legislative act can be found which
confirms the present inscription ; and because, although the
present one appeared after the former ones, it by no means ever
became all at once uniform and common for all. Thus, there are
sufficient reasons to submit it to examination and correction." 50

Good Friday "Noble Joseph" (see below, p. 45), nor was it signed. With all due re-
verence to their Holinesses, it would seem preferable to avoid all possible future
problems by writing in the particulars of consecration and especially the name
and signature of the consecrator. CICO Fontes, serie II, fascicolo VII, Textus
Selecti Iuris Ecclesiastici Russorum (ed. Aemilius Herman, s.j. & Antonius
Wuyts, s.j. ; S. Cong, per la Chiesa Orientale, Prot. N. 527/40 ; Rome : Schola
Typogranca Pio X, 1944), no. 946, p. 292 : "The Dean must be vigilant ...that
the holy antimension is signed by the Bishop who consecrated it, and that it is
not old nor has holes nor is stained nor discolored."

47 See references under note 44, page 42 above ; sometimes the number
of the year of the particular "Indiction" is also noted. No doubt these are tra-
ditions left over from the civil and ecclesiastical "stylus curiae" of the Byzan-
tine Empire.

48 Other antimensia were consecrated in a ceremony on January 28, 1967.
The underlined parts of the inscription, i.e. Andrew, Nauplia, 75, 67, January, 12,
were rilled in, in Slavonic, by means of rubber stamps specially made up for
that purpose ; Vladyka Andrei then signed "Andrew, Bishop of Nauplia" to
each one.

49 Venetia, op. cit., p. 98.

50 P.E., op. cit., no. 3, p. 67.

Hence we may conclude that, although an inscription giving the
data of consecration is most desirable, its form is by no means minutely
prescribed.

7. Along the top is often found an inscription giving the purpose
of the antimension ; thus the antimensia consecrated by Vladyka Andrew
Katkoff have printed at the top : "The grace of the Most Holy and Life-
giving Spirit hallows this antimension that it may be a Sacred Table, for
the purpose of offering on it the Divine Sacrifice of the Body and Blood
of the Lord in the Holy Liturgy." 51

Since the antimension has been aggregated to the Epitaphios, 52 it
often bears the same inscription, a hymn 53 used at the Burial Service of
Christ on Good Friday 54 and during each Divine Liturgy when the
paten" and chalice containing the elements for the Holy Sacrifice are
deposited on the antimension at the end of the Great Entrance : 55 "The
Noble Joseph (of Arimathea) took down from the Cross your immacu-
late Body, and wrapping it in a clean shroud with sweet spices, sorro-
wing, he laid it in a new grave." 56

61 Cfr. note 43, page 42 and 44, pages 42-43 above.

62 As we have seen above ; cfr. note 30, page 39 above, and note 31, page
39 above.

53 A "troparion" (in II tone) to be exact ; it is a metrical composition
giving the theme of the feast or particular part of the Office and is analogous to
a "collect" or "oration" of the Latin Fite ; cfr. Attwater, Catholic Dictionary,
p. 501, for more details. Also cfr. Johnstone, op. cit., p. 53 ; Meletius Michael
Solovey, The Byzantine Divine Liturgy, History and Commentary, trans. D. E.
Wysochansky, Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press,
Inc., 1970, p. 183, n. 21 ; Egon Wellesz, A History of Byzantine Music and
Hymnography (II ed.), Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1961, pp. 1 71-197.

54 Cfr. Hapgood, op. cit., pp. 218-220 ; Mercenier, loc. cit. especially
pp. 214, 218, and above, p. 39, note 30.

55 Hapgood, op. cit., p. 97 ; Mercenier, La Priere Des Eglises De Rite
Byzantin, tome 1 L' Office Divin, La Liturgie, Les Sacrements, p. 246.

56 Ibidem ; Cardinal Mai, Novae Patrum Bibliothecae, tomus V Sancti Ni-
cephori et Sancti Theodori Studitae, Rome : Typis Sacri Consilii Propagando Cri-
stiano Nomini, 1849, in his introduction, on p. VIII, describes an antimension
seen by him and gives the inscription of the troparion in Greek and then in Latin:
"Nobilis Joseph de Ligno deponens immaculatum Corpus tuum, puraque sindone
involvens cum aromatibus in monumento novo funerans posuit (ex Marc. XV. 43)."
Also Petrides, DACL, col. 2325.

8. As far as color schemes are concerned, they have been myriad :
black printing on white cloth ; 57 black printing on colored cloth ; 58 red
and black printing on white cloth ; 59 six colors printed on white cloth,60 etc.

9. In the matter, then, of the ornamentation and inscription of
the antimension, we may say that the only thing necessary is some means
of telling what its purpose is (a cross, image, or inscription) and that it
has been consecrated by a bishop (bishop's signature, preferably with
date of consecration). These would not seem to be of such importance,
however, as to make invalid the consecration of an antimension lacking
any or all of them.

III. Inclusion of Relics

We have seen that an important use of the antimension was to
guarantee the presence of relics in altars which had been consecrated
without relics, or which had lost their relics, or which had relics of
doubtful authenticity. The Council of Carthage had decreeed that the
ocal bishops must destroy any altars which had been consecrated without
relics of the martyrs. 61 Canon 7 of the Seventh Ecumenical Council
(II Nicaea - 787 A.D.) declared that :

"If any church has been consecrated without the sacred
relics of martyrs, relics are now to be placed there in with the
customary prayers. A Bishop who henceforward consecrates a
church without holy relics is to be deposed as a transgressor of
ecclesiastical tradition." 62

X, It seems that the Iconoclasts, condemning the use of relics as
well as of images as idolatry, used to consecrate churches without relics.88

67 Cfr. our chart : Some Modern Printed Antimensia Compared, p. 307.

58 Ibidem.

59 Ibidem.

60 Ibidem.

61 Reported by Matthew Blastares, in his Syntagma Alphabeticum, P.G.
144 : 1289.

62 For Greek, Latin and English versions of this text, cfr. the sources
listed under note 24, page 37 above. Cfr. also P.E., op. cit., no. I, pp. 70-71.

63 Cfr. Theodore Balsamon, loc. cit. ; also the commentary of Zonaras
on the same canon, P.G. 137 : 913.

Thus, Theodore Balsamon, in his Commentary on Canon 7 of the VII
Ecumenical Council, after castigating the Iconoclasts for consecrating
churches without relics, writes (ca. 1197) :

"And how can oratories be consecrated today without relics?
And why are these sacred rites not carried out by a Bishop but
by a simple Priest ? To these questions the answer is : because
at the consecration of a church the Bishop makes (i.e. conse-
crates) antimensia which are sent to oratories and suffice for
their consecration, or dedication, enthroning (setting up of
altar), inauguration and solemn opening (of the oratory)." 64

It is clear here that the antimension substitutes for the presence
of relics (and the personal consecration of the oratory by the Bishop)
and therefore itself must contain relics. Patriarch Manuel Charitoupolis
of Constantinople (XIII c.) says :

"Antimensia are not necessary on all altars, only on those
whose consecration is uncertain. For antimensia take the place
of the consecration of the Holy Table (fixed altar) ; there is no
need for them where the Table itself is consecrated." 65

From this latter text we can draw two conclusions : 1) antimensia
must be used on altars whose consecration is uncertain ; 2) but they must
have already begun to be used on all altars in some places or the Patriarch
would not have felt the necessity to clarify the matter.

2. Balsamon, in his reply to Question 13 of Mark, is even more
precise ; he reports that the Byzantine Emperor Leo the Philosopher 66
stipulated in his fourth and fifteenth Novellae (ca. 888) that a priest
might celebrate the Sacred Mysteries not only in public churches (eU
t&s exxXY]<Tia<;) but also in domestic oratories ("prayerhouses" : (efc tooc
eux?)T7)pfous olxoin;) and then (Balsamon) adds :

"Thus a priest is not to be judged a transgressor of the ca-
nons, according to the tenor of this (Leo's) decree, who using
an antimension celebrates the Sacred Mysteries, or baptizes 67

64 P.G., 137 : 912.

65 P.F., 119 : 812 ; cfr. also Shipman, op. cit., p. 563.
68 Cfr. De Clercq, op. cit., pp. 59~6o.

67 Baptism is mentioned here because according to the Byzantine tradi-
tion, the newly baptized is Confirmed and then immediately Communicated (even
an infant) ; thus it is necessary to celebrate the Divine Liturgy to have the two

in a domestic oratory which has not been consecrated nor has
had sacred relics (which are the treasure and glory of the Ca-
tholic Church) deposited therein." 68

3. The opinion that the antimension supplies not only for the lack
of consecration of the altar but also substitute for the whole oratory is
shared also by Archbishop John of Kitros (ca. 1200), 69 Matthew Blastares
(ca. 1335), 70 and St. Symeon of Thessalonica (d. 1429) ; 71 it supplies
for the lack of consecration because it has been consecrated with Holy
Myron (Sacred Chrism) by a bishop, and it supplies for the lack of relics
evidently because it contains relics of the saints.

4. Thus, it is difficult to sustain the opinion of Fr. Joseph Braun
and Fr. Alphonse Raes who state that there were no relics in the anti-
mensia until the XIII and XIV centuries, without, however, their in-
clusion becoming a general custom even at that late date. Thus, Fr. Braun
says: "Relics were not placed in the antimensia until the end of the
XIII c." 72 His reason for saying so is that the Euchologia up to this time
giving the Consecration of Antimensia do not mention the inclusion of
relics. However, as Fr. Braun himself already has noted about the deposi-
tion of relics: "Unlike the Roman Rite, it (deposition of relics) is not
included in the ceremony itself of consecration, but follows." 73 The
silence of the Euchologia on this point would not therefore seem to prove
anything. Father Raes, speaking of the first antimensia, says: "These
antimensia are still without relics and can be washed (cfr. Canons 16 and
96 attributed to the Patriarch Nichephoros) 74 ...The usage of placing
relics in the antimension can be therefore traced to the XIV c. without
having yet become general at that time. 75 However, the canons 16 and 96

Eucharistic Species. Cfr. King, op. cit., p. 16 ; Mercenier, op. cit., 1, pp. 321-
325. 351

68 P.G. 138 : 965-

69 John of Kitros, op. cit., P.G. 119 : 976.

70 Matthew Blastares, op. cit., P.G. 144-1288-1289.

71 Symeon of Thessalonica, op. cit., P.G. 155 : 333.

72 Braun, op. cit., 1, pp. 649-650 : "In das Antimension wurden, wie es
scheint, noch zu Ausgang des 13 Jahrhunderts keine Reliquien gelegt."

73 Ibidem, p. 648 : "Sie findet sowohl bei der Weihe des altare nixum als
der des Antimension statt, ist aber nicht, wie im rbmischen Ritus, in den Weiheakt
hineinverwoben, sondern folgt."

74 For text of these canons, cfr. below, pp. 86-87.

75 Raes, op. cit., pp. 61-62 : "Ces Antimensia sont encore sans reliques et
peuvent Stre laves."

of St. Nicephoros cited by Fr. Raes have been traditionally interpreted
by all Byzantine canonists, as we will see below,76 as forbidding, not
permitting, the washing of an antimension. Moreover, the great Byzantine
canonist, Theodore Balsamon,77 writing ca. 1170 A.D., speaks so speci-
fically of the antimension as supplying for the lack of relics in a place of
cult (and the necessity of having relics in churches and oratories) that it is
difficult to imagine that it was not the common practice to have relics
inserted in the antimensia. He speaks of the use of antimensia as the
means used to fulfill Canon 7 of the VII Ecumenical Council, mentioned
above,78 and therefore the use of relics in the antimensia probably dates
back to that Council (787 A.D.) or shortly thereafter. Fr. Cyril Koro-
levskij 79 sees the antimension furnished with relics as originating in the
VI c. in Syria with the Jacobites and Monophysite Syrians who were
persecuted by the civil power and official Church and so constrained to
celebrate in hidden places and in private homes. Protopope Giuseppe
Ferrari highlights the fact that the use of relics was a premeditated
reaction against the Iconoclast abhorrence of relics as well as sacred
images :

"Since it was already the custom to place under the Altars
the bodies of martyrs, it was a logical consequence to sew relics
into the Antimensia used without an Altar. And when, during the
inconoclastic period, the heretics cast out the relics from some chur-
ches, the (antimensia) with relics sewn into them were multiplied
a bit out of spite (reaction) and a bit out of (a sense of) necessity.
It is to be noted, however, that it is not the relics which con-
secrate the mensa or the antimension, but the Myron (Chrism)
and the prayers of the ceremony. The deposition of relics is
only an integral (and not an essential) part of the dedication
of a church. It is sufficient to consult the Euchologia to ascer-
tain that when the Mensa was consecrated, at the end (of the
ceremony) the relics were inserted. The custom of depositing
them (under the Altar) before the consecration (of the Altar
and church) is a usage which is almost modern, introduced in
the last fifty years...80 After the iconoclastic period antimensia
with relics, and used also on consecrated Altars, became more
and more common. And among the Slavs it became the com-

76 Cfr. below, pp. 85 ff.

77 Cfr. Balsamon, op. ext., P.G. 137 : 612-616, 909-913 ; 138 : 964-965-
Cfr. above, p. 47.

78 Cfr. above, p. 46.

79 KOROLEVSKIJ, Op. dt., p. 498.

80 Fr. Ferrari's article was written in 195°-

5 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

5°

mon usage. Not so among the Greeks, however. The missio-
naries who left Byzantium for the Slavic world carried with
them complete antimensia and only these (i.e. they did not
have consecrated fixed altars, naturally - ed.). And in that
(part of the) world this tradition was perpetuated up until the
present day so that, whether the mensa be consecrated or not,
the Slavs celebrate upon antimensia containing relics. The
Greeks, on the other hand, according to the ancient tradition,
recognize the two types of antimensia and some liturgists even
(distinguish between them and) call one an eileton and the
other an antimension. In this sense are to be interpreted the
replies of some canonists (thus John of Kitros' reply to Con-
stantine of Dyrrachium and so many others)/' 81

5. Would an antimension consecrated without relics be validly
consecrated ? To answer this question we must follow a distinction which
Archpriest Constantine Nikolskij 82 makes between portable and fixed
antimensia : the former are simply portable and can be used on a suitable
flat surface anywhere as a substitute for an Altar (and he remarks that
originally all antimensia were simply portable). Fixed antimensia are
those which are destined (according to modern usage) to be used on a

81 Ferrari, op. ext., pp. 109-110:

"Essendo poi invalso l'uso di deporre sotto gli Altari i corpi dei Martiri, fu
conseguenza logica che anche negli dcvTiu-lvoia usati senza Altare, si cucissero le
SS. Reliquie. E quando, nel periodo iconoclastico, gli eretici gettarono via da
alcune Chiese le Reliquie, si moltiplicarono, un po' per reazione, un po' per ne-
cessity, gli ElXyjTdc con Reliquie cucite. Si noti per6 che non sono le Reliquie a
consacrare la Mensa o 1'EIXt)t6v ma il MOpov e le preci di rito. La deposizione
delle Reliquie e parte solo integrante della dedicazione di una Chiesa. Basta
consultare gli 'EuxoX6yia per constatare che quando la Mensa era consacrata, alia
fine vi si introducevano le Reliquie. La loro deposizione prima della consacra-
zione e uso quasi contemporaneo, introdottosi in questi ultimi cinquant'anni...

Dopo il periodo iconoclastico diventano sempre piu communi gli ' Av-uuivaia
con le Reliquie, usati anche sugli Altari consacrati. E presso gli Slavi divenne
uso comune. Non cosl per6 tra i Greci. I Missionari partiti da Bisanzio per il
mondo slavo, portarono con s6 gli ' Avxiuivata integrati e solo questi. E in quel
mondo si perpetud tale tradizione, sino ad oggi, cosl che, consacrata o non con-
sacra la Mensa, gli Slavi celebrano comunemente su 'Avriuivaia con Reliquie.
I Greci invece, secondo la tradizione antica, conoscono i due tipi di 'Avxtuivoia,
e qualche liturgista anzi chiama molte volte EIXy;t6v l'uno e 'Av-uulvaiov pro-
priamente l'altro. In questo senso da interpretarsi le risposte di alcuni Canonisti
(cosl Giovanni di Citro a Costantino di Durazzo e tanti altri)."

82 Nikolskij, Antimins, ch. IV, Portable and Non-Portable Antimensia,
pp. 61 ff ; cfr. also Petrovskij, op. cit., col. 807-808.

consecrated fixed Altar. 83 It is clear that there is no need for relics in
the fixed antimensia because the Altar on which they are used already
contains relics, 84 and that therefore they can be validly consecrated
without relics. Braun, 85 following Petrides 86 and Lubeck 87 (neither of
whom seem to treat of the problem clearly), simply states : "For the va-
lidity of the consecration of the antimension and the liceity of its use,
it is not commonly a requisite that it contain relics." It seems that
Father Braun is incorrect in not having made the above distinction, and
that one must examine the use to which the antimension is to be put.
It is the present writer's opinion 88 that antimensia (even with the in-
tention that they be portable) are validly consecrated without relics, but
that it would be absolutely illicit to use them outside of a consecrated
fixed altar. If they are to be licitly used as true portable altars, relics
must^first be added. It is preferable, but not necessary, that the relics
be added by a Bishop with the customary prayers and ceremony.

In support of our opinion, we cite the practice of the Greek Ortho-
dox Patriarchate of Jerusalem which is described by Petrides : 89

"The antimensia come habitually from the Patriarchate of
Jerusalem, whose press is equipped for their printing; they are
kept by the metochia 90 of the Holy Sepulcher. They are de-
livered unconsecreated and without relics. The Bishops con-
secrate them and send them to the priests who have need of

83 As the equivalent of the Roman corporal; cfr. below, pp. no ff.

84 The fixed consecrated altar of the Byzantine Rite always contains relics:
cfr. below, pp. 120-121, 181-182. Also Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 8, op. ext., loc. cit.

85 Braun, op. cit., 1, p. 520 : "Zur Giiltigkeit der Weihe des Antimension
und zur Erlaubtheit seiner Verzendung ist demnach nicht allgemein eforderlich,
dass es Reliquien ethalt ;" cfr. also Ibidem, p. 650.

86 Petrides, EO, pp. 193 ff. (Fr. Braun cites the entire article without spe-
cifying a particular section).

87 Lubeck, op. cit., pp. 346 ff. (Again, Fr. Braun cites the entire article
without specifying the particular section which supports his statement).

88 The following statement from Ferrari, op. cit., p. no, would tend to
support the argument : "Note, however, that it is not the relics which consecrate
the Mensa or antimension but the Myron (Chrism) and the ceremonial prayers.
The deposition of relics is only an integral part of the dedication of a church."
Cfr. also Braun, op. cit., vol. I, pp. 648-650.

89 Petrides, EO, p. 199-

90 I.e. small Greek Orthodox monastery attached to Church of Holy Se-
pulcher. Cfr. CICO Fontes, serie II, fascicolo X, pp. 7-8.

them. Before using them on an unconsecrated altar, these
(priests) ask for relics from the Patriarchate or from another
church which possesses them." 91

It is reported that in the Russian branch of the Byzantine Rite
relics are used in every antimension while in the other branches of the
Byzantine Rite antimensia without relics (to be used as "fixed antimensia"
on consecrated fixed altars) are found. 92

6. The relics (usually three particles) are enclosed 93 in wax-mastic,94
anointed with chrism by the bishop, and sewn in a bag or pouch onto
the reverse side of the antimension. St. Symeon of Thessalonica 95 pre-
scribes that the pouch of relics be sewn on to the part toward the East
(that is the upper part, the part furthest from the celebrant-usually
under the place where the arms of the Cross depicted on the observe
of the antimension meet). Some of the Byzantines 96 affix the bag of
relics to the part which faces the West, the part nearest the celebrant

91 Petrides, EO, p. 199 : "Les antimensia viennent habituellement du
patriarcat de Jerusalem, dont l'imprimerie est outillee pour leur impression ; les
metochia du Saint-Sepulcre en possedent aussi des dep6ts. On les delivre non
consacr6e et sans reliques. Les eveques les consacrent et les remettent aux pretres
qui en ont besoin. Avant de s'en servir sur un autel non consacre, ceux-ci de-
mandent des reliques au patriarcat ou a tout eglise qui en possede."

92 Cfr. Braun, op. ext., I, pp. 520, 648; Ferrari, op. cit., pp. 109-110;
Lubeck, op. cit., p. 4100 Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 8; Pedalion (Cummings), p. 327;
Petrides, EO, p. 199 ; Petrovskij, op. cit., col. 801-802 ; Shipman, op. cit., p. 564.
The Slavs have always used relics in all their antimensia because the Greek mis-
sionaries who converted them carried this type and no others, since there were as
yet no consecrated fixed altars to be found in the newly converted territories ;
the Slavs, being assiduous conservers of tradition, have kept this practice until
modern times. Cfr. Ferrari, loc. cit.

93 For ceremony, cfr. below, pp. 69-78 and pp. 277 ff.

94 Cfr. below, 66-67 for details. In brief, wax-mastic is a mixture pre-
pared by heating together beeswax, mastic (a type of resin or gum from Chios),
marble dust and various aromatics ; it is used as a kind of cement to keep the par-
ticles of relics together and to keep them in the cloth pouches (which are not always
sewn shut) ; it is also used at the consecration of the Byzantine fixed consecrated
altar to cement the mensa to its stipites (columns). It is warmed when it is to be
used and has excellent adhesive qualities ; when cooled it retains some flexibility,
if prepared properly.

95 Symeon of Thessalonica, op. cit., P.G. 155 : 333. Cfr. below, p. 71,

n. 64.

96 Especially the Melkites and Italo-Greek-Albanians.

(and therefore perhaps nearer the paten and chalice during the celebra-
tion of Liturgy), but the majority of the Byzantine Catholics and Ortho-
dox follow the prescription of Symeon of Thessalonica. In the case of
the others, we may say that legitimate custom and the relative unim-
portance of the position of the relics justify the continuance of their
practice.

7. What may be said from the legal aspect concerning whether or
not the relics must be of martyrs and how many relics should there be ?
We have already stated the opinion that the antimension may validly
be consecrated without relics, but that its use as a portable altar would
be absolutely forbidden until relics were inserted. Must these relics be of
more than one saint ? The Pedalion 97 seems to infer so but since it is
not clear, the present writer feels that here we may have recourse to Latin
Rite jurisprudence as a supplementary source of law by analogy. Relics
are also required for the consecration of Latin Rite fixed and portable
altars (and here for validity) ; yet the Sacred Congregation of Rites 98
declared that for the valid consecration of a fixed or a portable altar the
relics of a Martyr together with those of a Confessor or Virgin, or even
the relics of one Martyr alone, are sufficient. Therefore the same would
seem to hold true for the antimension. 99

97 Cfr. Pedalion (Cummings), p. 437, where it is also implied that the Martyrs
must be recognized as such by the ecclesiastical authorities, i.e. "Canonized."

98 S.R.C., 6 Feb. 1906, ad 3, Decreta Authentica Congregationis Sacrorum
Rituum, n. 4180. The juridical sources prescribe, regarding the relics to be used
in a Latin Rite altar, whether fixed or portable, as follows : the relics must be
of canonized Saints recognized by the Church ; the relics of at least two Saints
must be included, one of whom must be a martyr (the relic of one Saint, a Martyr,
would suffice for validity) ; the relics must be actual portions of the Saints' bodies,
not simply of their garmentsor of other objects which they may have used or
touched ; the relics must be certainly authentic (even if the actual name of the
saint is unknown). For the preceding, cfr. Nicholas Martin Bliley, Altars
According to the Code of Canon Law (Canon Law Studies Number 38 ; Washington,
D.C. : The Catholic University of America, 1927). PP- 83-85, also pp. 35"42.
81-83, 105-

99 However, since 1969, the Latin Rite no longer absolutely requires that
relics be used for the consecration of Altars, and if they are used, they need not
be of Martyrs. Cfr. Missale Romanum (i97°)> Institutio Generalis, n. 266 (p. 76);
and A. P. Frutaz, "II Culto delle reliquie e loro uso nella consecrazione degli
altari," Notitiae, 9 & 10 (Sept. & Oct., 1965) : 309-307- However their use is
still encouraged. These latest developements weaken our argument for the ne-
cessity of the inclusion of the relics of martyrs.

The commentators 100 seem to require that the relics be those of
Martyrs ; the Pedalion 101 specifically notes :

"The relics that are to be collected as treasure ought to be
the relics of martyrs, and not of devout persons or hierarchs.
For this reason the practice followed in Moscow is to be praised.
For there the relics of the martyrs are kept in the Archbishopric
and whenever there is need of dedicating any temple, the Pre-
late alone takes them from there, in order to prevent the oc-
currence of any mistake whereby instead of relics of martyrs,
either common relics or other holy relics, and not those of
martyrs, might be treasured up as such... In the same way,
too, in the case of antimensia used instead of Holy Tables,
the sanctifying power residing in them is not sufficient alone on
the occasion of the dedication of a temple 102 unless they have
the relics of martyrs sewn up with them. That is why the or-
dinance in the Euchologion applying to the consecration of the
antimensia prescribes that these are to be consecrated by means
of relics of martyrs."

From the above discussion, we may then draw the following con-
clusions :

1. Antimensia may be validly consecrated without relics.

2. To be used licitly as a portable altar, antimensia must con-
tain relics.

3. The relic of one saint is sufficient.

4. However, this saint should be a martyr.

100 Cfr. Canon 7 of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicae II) quoted
above ; Theodore Balsamon, P.G. 137 : 912 ; Alexios Aristenes, P.G. 137:
913 ; Matthew Blastares, P.G. 144 : 1288-1289. The prayers during the con-
secration of the antimension mention the martyrs specifically (cfr. Goar, op.
cit., p. 518 and the Euchologia and their translations mentioned below, pp.
72-73-

101 Pedalion (Cummings), p. 437.

102 According to the Byzantine Mystique, objects to be blessed are placed
on the altar and draw their sanctification from it (cfr. Mt. 23 : 18). The prayers
of the Bishop or priest are considered more an official declaration of what has
already taken place, cfr. below, pp. 78-79. Here the sanctification residing in
the antimensia which have been consecrated on the altar is not enough for them
to be used as a substitute for the altar unless relics are placed in them to comply
with Canon 7 of the VII Ecumenical Council (Nicaea II) mentioned above.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE CONSECRATION OF THE BYZANTINE ANTIMENSION

We have seen that the antimension developed out of the necessity
of having a portable canonically consecrated altar, in order to follow the
ancient tradition of celebrating the Holy Mysteries only on a consecrated
altar, when it was impossible to find a certainly canonically apt conse-
crated fixed altar ; also that it was considered as supplying for the con-
secration not only of the altar but of the whole sacred ambient, and that
for this reason, the antimension was often called the xaOiepcoo^ (Kathie-
rosis), "that which is consecrated." Hence, there can hardly be any
question of the necessity of the consecration of the Byzantine antimension1.

Our study, then, at this point turns to the Minister of this consecra-
tion, the ceremony by which it is accomplished, and the circumstances
under which the consecrated antimension loses its usefulness (rather than
losing simply its consecration).

I. The Minister of the Consecration of the Antimension

i. Archimandrite Placidus De Meester states, in regard to the
Minister of the Consecration of altars and antimensia in the Byzan-
tine Rite :

"That only the Bishop has the right and the faculty to con-
secrate churches, or better, altars, is an indisputable principle
drawn from the Church Canons and taught by all the canonists".2

1 Cfr. Bliley, op. cit., pp. 3°~34. 75» io3 ; De Meester, op. ext., pp. 177-
178 ; Goar, op. ext., p. 521 ; Raes, op. cit., p. 61 ; also pp. 74, 75, 173.

2 De Meester, op. cit., p. 155 : "Che il Vescovo solo abbia il diritto e la
facolta di consacra le chiese, o meglio gli altari, e principio inconcusso indetto
dei canoni della chiesa ed insegnato da tutti i canonisti."

"...this rite (the consecration of antimensia) is analogous,
not to say identical, to that of the consecration of an altar. It
is not to be wondered at, then, if ecclesiastical law reserves
solely to the Bishop the faculty of consecrating antimensia,
founding this doctrine on the same canonical institutes which
reserve to the episcopal power the consecration of altars." 3

This ancient tradition of the Church has its earliest canonical ex-
pression in the Sixth Canon of the VI Synod of Carthage (438 or 525
A.D.), denying to Priests the faculty of using Sacred Chrism to perform
consecrations (and therefore also the consecrations of altars) :

"The application of Chrism and the Consecration of Virgins
shall not be done by Priests (presbyters) ; nor shall it be per-
missable for a priest to reconcile anyone at a public Liturgy.
This is the decision of us all." 4

2. The lone voice dissenting from the tradition that the consecra-
tion of antimensia as the exclusive competence of a Bishop is the great
medieval liturgist St. Symeon of Thessalonica (d. 1429) who states :

"(The consecration of antimensia) should be done principally
by a Bishop ; in case of necessity, however, it may be performed
as experienced Priest delegated by him." 5

Most historical authors 6 content themselves with repeating this
opinion of St. Symeon. Father Denis Rudolph Kiwitz analyzes this
statement in depth :

3 Ibidem, p. 159 : "Nella sezione II, 1, sara studiato questo rito, e si vedra
che e analogo, per non dire identico, a quello della consacrazione dell'altare.
Non c'e quindi da meravigliarsi se il diritto ecclesiastico riserva al solo vescovo
la facolta di consacrare gli antiminsi, fondando questa dottrina sui medesimi
instrumenti canonici che riservano alia potesta episcopale la consacrazione degli
altari."

4 Pedalion (Cummings), p. 608. This canon was subsequently assumed
into canon 7 of the VII Ecumenical Council (as quoted above, p. 31). Cfr. De
Meester, op. ext., p. 155; Denis Rudolph Kiwicz (Kiwitz), Hallowing of a
church (studies in the Russian Euchologion. Part I), Rome : Pontificium Insti-
tutum Orientalium Studiorum, 1954, P- 54 » Nikodemos Milasch and Ale-
xander Pessic, Das Kirchenrecht der Morgenlandischen Kirche, Mostav : Pacher
and Kisic, 1905, p. 241, 374.

5 P.G. 155 : 333-

6 Thus Braun, op. cit., I, p. 96 ; De Meester, op. cit., p. 159 ; Lubeck,
op. cit., p. 409, Pedalion (Cummings), p. 438 ; DACL, col. 2326 ; P6trides, EO,
pp. 198, 200 ; Salaville, op. cit., p. 154.

"The 12th century practice of consecrating antimensia apart
from the act of church consecration 7 made it possible for Si-
meon of Saloniki 8 to allow also the consecration of antimensia
by an ordinary priest who had special permission from the
Bishop. This possibility (admitted by Simeon of Saloniki; was
neither a general custom in his time, nor did it become one
later. Rather did the consecration of antimensia remain the
exclusive right of the Bishop." 9

Thus Bishop Nikodemos Milasch and Alexander Pessic are correct
in stating that "only a diocesan Bishop has the right to consecrate an-
timensia." 10

As far as the theological principle involved is concerned, it would
not seem that the consecration of antimensia exceeds the consecrator •
powers of the simple Priest, especially if he is delegated by a Bishop and
this for two reasons : i) the opinion of St. Symeon of Thessalonica re-
ferred to above ; even if it is not witness to a widespread practice, his
statement would have been repudiated by his contemporaries and the
succeeeding generations if it had been absolutely dissonant with Byzan-
tine canonical tradition ; 2) In Latin Rite canonical tradition, fixed and
portable altars may be consecrated by a properly delegated Priest using
Chrism consecrated by a Bishop. 11 However, the fittingness of having

7 Cfr. below, pp. 75-78.

8 I.e. St. Symeon of Thessalonica.

9 Kiwitz, op. cit., p. 56.

10 Milasch and Pessic, op. cit., p. 241, cfr. also p. 374.

11 The following Priests, even though they lack the episcopal character,
enjoy by reason of their office the privilege of consecrating fixed altars in the
Latin Rite, according to the Pian-Benedictan Code of Canon Law : Cardinals for
altars of their Title (c. 1155, 1) ; Abbots Nullius and Prelates (Nullius) in their
territory (c. 323, 2). Similarly, the following Priests can consecrate portable altars
in the Latin Rite : Cardinals (c. 239, 1, n. 20), Vicars Apostolic and Prefects
Apostolic in their territories and during their tenure of Office (c. 294, 2). Under
certain circumstances, Local Ordinaries may delegate their Priest subjects to
consecrate portable altars ; cfr. Pastorale Munus, n. 27. For a more complete
theological and Canonical discussion of this problem, cfr. Thaddeus S. Ziol-
kowski, The Consecration and Blessing of Churches, Washington, D.C. : The
Catholic University of America Press, 1943 (Canon Law Studies no 187), pp. 7S-
101. Cfr. also Bartholomaeus Belluco, o.f.m., Novissimae Ordinariorum Locorum
Facultares, Rome: Pontificium Athnaeum Antonianum, 1964, pp. 147-152; Bliley,
op. cit., pp. 78-81, 103-105 ; Pacificus Capobianco, o.f.m., Privilegia et Facul-
tates Ordinis Fratrum Minorum, Rome : Pontificium Athenaeum Antonianum,
1961, p. 267 ; John Linus Paschang, The Sacramentals According to the Code of

5«

a simple Priest consecrate antimensia, outside of the case of true necessity
during times of persecution, etc., may be seriously doubted. Since the
antimension is a true altar, 12 and is made for the purpose of having the
Bishop' consecratory power felt in a place to which he is hindered for
some reason from going personally, it represents the union of a Bishop
with his College of Presbyters and with his flock, and as such always be
consecrated by the Bishop himself, whenever possible. Thus Protopope
Giuseppe Ferrari says :

"...it is certain, however, that the whole Byzantine Church
considers as schismatic the Priest who celebrates without an
antimension. In fact, as is clear from the Office of the De-
dication of a Church (Enkainia), the antimension consecrated
by a Bishop and sealed and signed by him, has from earliest
times been considered as a type of "Celebret," a document of
attestation for the Priest, who, by means of the same, partici-
pates, in a certain way, in the Apostolic Succession, through his
Bishop. These (Bishops) sending (an antimension by) a Priest
from the Cathedral to a village, furnish it with an object guaran-
teeing the bond of unity ; and no other object could seem more
fitting to symbolize the veil which envelopes and ties together
the Mystical Body of Christ, than the Shroud which enfolds His
physical Body. To celebrate, therefore, without an antimension
signifies, according to the Byzantine mentality, the fulfilling
of the most sublime and august liturgical action outside of the
Apostolicity, the Catholicity, the very unity of the Church !
It is the antimension, then, which for us in the Eucharistic
Synaxis, unites the Priest with his Bishop, and through the
Bishop, with the Apostles and Christ." 13

Canon Law, Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of Washington Press,
1925, pp. 50-55. Furthermore, it seems that the Apostolic See of Rome has
sometimes, though very rarely and in case of extreme necessity, given to priests
(lacking the episcopal character) the faculty to consecrate even the Holy Chrism.
Cfr. Bullarium Franciscanum, I, p. 417, n. 868 where Pope Eugene IV on Ja-
nuary 29, 1445, gave this faculty to the Franciscan (Friars Minor) Vicar of Bosnia
(in Jugoslavia : "Bosniae Argentinae") ; cfr. also : L. Buijs, Facilitates Ordina-
riorum et Legatorum Sanctae Sedis in Missionibus necnon Facilitates et Gratiae
pro America Latina et Insulis Phillipinis ; Rome: Apud Aedes Universitatis Gre-
gorianae, 1963, pp. 28-29 ; Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., p. 104 ; Paschang, op. cit.,
p. 60, note 17.

18 Cfr. below, p. 105 ff.

18 Ferrari, op. cit., p. 107 : "...certo b per6 che tutta la Chiesa Bizantina
considera quale scismatico un sacerdote che celebrasse senza 'Avxiuivatov. In-
fatti, come appare chiaro daH'Umcio degli ' Eyxoctvia, sin dai primissimi secoli

We may note here that antimensia, because of their light weight
and small size when folded, are often sent by registered airmail to distant
parts of dioceses and mission territories, etc.

3. Nicepboros, 13a John of Kitros 14 and Matthew Blastares 15 not<:
that the antimension, like other sacred things such as Holy Myron (Chrism),
can be sent outside the confines of the diocese of the Bishop who conse-
creates it.

4. Patriarch Nil Kerameus of Constantinople (1380-1388) says
that not only the Patriarch, but also all Metropolitans and Bishops have
the right to consecrate antimensia. 16

5. Cardinal Coussa enumerates under the rights of the Melkite
Catholic Patriarch that he alone consecrates antimensia for his whole
patriarchate. 17 However, the local Melkite synods which he cites as hi^

1'EIXtjt6v consacrato dal Vescovo e segnato dal suo sigillo e dalla sua firma,
veniva considerato come una specie di "celebret", un documento di garanzia per
il Sacerdote, che, per mezzo di esso, partecipava, in certo qual modo, della suc-
cessione apostolica, tramite il proprio Vescovo. Questi, inviando un presbitero
dalla Cattedrale al villaggio, lo munisce di un oggetto di garanzia e di collega-
mento, per assicurare l'unita ; e nessun oggetto poteva sembrare piu idoneo a
simboleggiare il velo che avvolge e lega in uno il Corpo Mistico di Cristo, della
Sindone che avvolge il Suo Corpo reale, Celebrare, pertanto, senza 'AvTiuivatov,
significa, nel concetto bizantino, compiere la piu sublime ed augusta azione li-
turgica, avolsi dalla Apostolicita, dalla Cattolicita, dalla Unita della Chiesa !
Per noi e dunque l* 'Avxiuivaiov che, nella Sinassi Eucaristica, unisce il Sacerdote
al Vescovo e per il Vescovo agli Apostoli e al Cristo." Archpriest Alexander
Schmemann writes in the same vein in his scholarly article "Antimins" (in
Russian), Canadian Orthodox Calendar for the Year 1972 (vol. 21), Montreal-
Toronto : Diocesan Council of the Orthodox Church in Canada, 51-55.

13a Canon 95, loc. cit.

14 P.G. 119 : 974.

18 P.G. 144 : 1059.

16 He adds that the faithful must show the antimensia the same honor as
the fixed consecrated altars of churches. Rhallis and Potlis, STNTATMA, V,
pp. 141-142 ; M. Gideon, Kavovixal Siaxa^eig II, p. 57. Cfr. also Lubeck, op.
cit., p. 407 ; P6trides, DACL, col. 2321 ; Petrides, EO, p. 197.

17 Acacius Cardinalis Coussa, b.s., Epitome Praelectionum De lure Ec-
clesiastico Orientali, vol. I, Grottaferrata (Rome) : Typis Monasterii Exarchici
Cryptoferratensis, 1948, p. 77 : "Antimensia solus, pro universo patriarchatu,
consacrat. (Ita fert Melkitarum ius)." Lubeck, op. cit., p. 412, observes that
the Melkites differ from the practice of the Greek mother-Church in this matter,
and that the exact time of origin of Melkite local custom is unknown : he adds
that the Bishop of Aleppo has consecrated antimensia on his own without de-
legation of the Melkite Patriarch, it would seem that this reserved right of the
Patriarch is not recognized by the whole Melkite Episcopate. "Abweichend hier-

authority 18 were never approved by the Holy See and can be considered,
as he himself emarks about them elsewhere, 19 only as witnesses to the
traditions and customs among the Melkites. Thus, Fr. Martimort is
incomplete when he says that antimensions are "blessed by the Pa-
triarch. " 20

6. In regard to Oriental Catholics, the motu proprio of Pope
Pius XII, Cleri Sanctitati (June 2, 1957) containing the codification of
the Oriental Canon Law concerning Persons, has the following :

"Canon 285, 1. Patriarchs enjoy the following privileges
and faculties, if particular law gives them the same : i° to
commit to a Priest, who has been raised to some particular
dignity, the blessing of churches and altars, the conferring of
minor orders, and the consecration of chalices, patens, and
tablets." 21

It would seem that this does not include the Byzantine Rite be-
cause f) there is no particular law conferring this privilege upon By-
zantine Patriarchs ; in fact from the Melkite custom cited by Cardinal
Coussa above, the tendency 22 would seem to be to restrict the right of

von wirdin der melchitischen Kirche die Weihe der Antimensien nicht mehr von
den Bischofen vorgenommen. Diese ist vielmehr zu einem Feservatrechte des
Patriarchen geworden. Seit wann, lasst sich nicht mit Genauigkeit bestimmen :
nxiert erscheint dasselbe erstmals auf der melchitischen Nationalsynode von
Qarqafe (1806). Wie lange zuvor aber bereits der melchitische Patriarch de facto
dieses Recht ausgeiibt hatte, ist nicht mahr zu ermitteln. Hervorgehoben zu
werden verdient noch, dass naturgemass der Patriarch auch einen seiner Bischofe
zur Konserkration von Antiminsien bevollmachtigen kann. Uber in einem sol-
chen Falle darf nicht der Name des Konsekranten auf die Antimensien eingetra-
gen werden, sondern nur derjenige des delegierenden Patriarchen."

18 Synodsu SS. Salvatoris Melkitarum, an. 1790, sess. 25, litt. m) ; Sy-
nodus Ain-Trazenis Melkitarum anno 191 1 (sic), n. 180.

19 Coussa, op. cit., p. 144.

20 A. G. Martimort, L'Eglise en Priire (3eme edition revue et corrigee),
Tournai : Desclee & Cie., 1965, p. 180 : "Cependant les Orientaux se contentent
d'un antimension, etoffe orn6e, benite par le patriarche, comportant un sachet
des reliques."

21 AAS, 49 (1957), 433_003 : "Can. 284 : I. Patriarchis, si iure particulari
ipsis tribunatur, sequentia insuper privelegia et facultates competunt : i° Com-
mitendi presbytero, in dignitate constituto, ecclesiarum altariumve benedictio-
nem, minorum ordinum collationem, calicum, patenarum, tabularum conse-
cratione,."

22 At least among the Melkites.

6 1

consecrating antimensia even further, to the Patriarch himself and much
less to a simple priest ; 2) the canon uses the expression "Tablet" which
seems to refer to the wooden portable altar of the Syrian tradition 23 and
not to the antimension, an interpretation which is further substantiated
by the fact that the canonical sources cited under the canon refer to a
Lebanese Synod of the Maronites 24 held in 1736, and not to any Byzan-
tine discipline. 25

In the preparatory schemata for the codification of the section
"Concerning Sacred Things" (De Rebus) of the Byzantine Catholic

23 The portable altar of the Syrian tradition is a small tablet of wood,
without relics, consecrated with Chrism by a Bishop, and having written on it in
the form of a cross : "The Holy Trinity has consecrated this 'tablit' in the year
by the "hands of the Bishop. N.N. :" cfr. Braun, op. cit., I, p. 519 ; Brightmax,
op. cit., p. 569 ; Korolevskij, op. cit., p. 498 ; Faes, op. cit., pp. 66-68 ; Rahmani,
op. cit., pp. 47-49. In the Alexandrian tradition (Copts and Ethiopians), wooden
tablets, without relics, consecrated with Chrism by a bishop and bearing incised
inscriptions and decorations are also used ; cfr. Braun, op. cit., I, pp. 97-100
(includes a drawing of Coptic tablet on p. 99) ; Alfred Butler, The Ancient
Coptic Churches of Egypt, 2 vols., Oxford : The Clarendon Press, 1884, vol. I,
p. 3 and passim ; Brightman, op. cit., pp. 569-570 ; Raes, op. cit., pp. 68-70.
Salaville, Introduction, pp. 152, 157. Cfr. 5elow, p. 431.

24 The Maronites, who live chiefly in Lebanon and who are all Catholics,
follow a Rite which has its origins in the Western branch of the Syrian Rite ;
cfr. Donald Attwater, The Christian Churches of the East, volume I : Churches
in Communion with Rome (revised edition ; Milwaukee, Wisconsin : The Bruce
Publishing Co., 1961, pp. 158-162; Alphonsus Raes, s.j., Introduction in Li-
turgiam Orientalem, Rome : Pont. Institutum Orientalium Studiorum, 1947.
pp. 11-12. Thus Victor J. Pospishil, Code of Oriental Canon Law : The Law
on Persons, an English Translation and Differential Commentary, Philadelphia :
America Press, i960, p. 143 comments on Can. 285, i° of Cleri Sanctitati cited
above : "Such faculties are granted by particular law to the Patriarch of the
Maronites, that group among Orientals which was longest under Latin Rite
influence. He can permit to simple priests to consecrate churches and altars
Particular law granting such privileges to the Patriarch can be enacted also in
the future, although the granting of such authority to simple priests by a ju-
risdictional act, and not through ordination (cheirotonia) or benediction (cheiro-
tesia), is against the tradition of the Christian East."

25 It must be remembered that Cleri Sanctitati, which forms part of the
projected Oriental Code of Canon Law, is "over-ritual law" and includes all the
Oriental Rites and not just the Byzantine Rite ; therefore some things found in
it may be in contrast to the authentic Byzantine discipline and that is why
allowances are made for particular law; cfr. Meletius M. Wojnar, o.s.b.m.,
The Code of Oriental Canon Law De Ritibus Orientalibus and De Personis
Washington, D.C. The Catholic University of America Press, 1959. PP 1-0

Discipline, not yet promulgated, the consecration of antimensia is strictly
limited to a Bishops. 26

7. Suming up the above, then, we may state the following :

1) The consecration of the antimension is the right of all diocesan
Bishops.

2) However, the consecration of antimensia does not seem to exceed
the consecratory powers of the simple priest delegated by the local ordinary
for this purpose.

3) But the nearly constant tradition of the Byzantine churches
repudiates the fittingness of the consecration of antimensia by a simple
priest, outside the case of extreme necessity.

II. Formalities of the Rite of Consecration

A. Occasion and Composition of Ceremonial for Consecration

1. The early Canonists and Commentatos, such as Theodore Bal-
samon 27 and Manuel, Patriarch of Constantinople 28 testify that antimen-
sions were consecrated only upon the occasion of the consecration of a
fixed altar and church, since in the primitive rite they were made from
the cloths used by the Bishop to dry the fixed consecrated altar after it
had been anointed with scented wine and Holy Myron (Chrism) on the

26 Cfr. Codificazione Canonica Orientale, torn. VI (cc. 10 12-1254) : C. Pascalef
(Prot. N. 224/33; Bulgari) in regard to the Bulgarian Discipline, remarks on p. 2:
"It is the Bishop alone who has the power to consecrate antimensia" ("C'est
l'6veque seul qui a le pouvoir de consacrer les antimensia.") Cyril Koralevskij
(Prot. N. 254/33 ; Disciplina Bizantina in Generale e Greci), p. 15 says apropos
the Byzantine Bite in general, and the Greek branch in particular : "The con-
secration of antimensia is exclusively reserved to the Bishop, and if any Archi-
mandrites have ever consecrated antimensia it was done by abuse... it was con-
trary to all the oriental tradition and it is to be hoped that it will never be re-
established."

27 Ca. 1 1 70 A.D. ; P.G. 137 : 613-616 : "Antimensia are made by Bishops
when they consecrate a church."

28 XIII, c. ; P.G. 119 : 809 : "We know that antimensia are made after
the consecration of a church by a Bishop, from the cloth which was used on the
altar, which is cut into pieces and signed (by the Bishop) and given to Priests,
without which they cannot offer the Sacrifice ;" cfr. also the Notes of William
Beveridge (Guill. Beveregii notae), P.G. 137 : 613-616.

occasion of its solemn consecration by the Bishop. 29 In fact, John of
Kitros condemns severely the consecration of antimensions outside the
the consecration of a fixed altar and Church, which shows that this
practice was already known, saying :

"It is not permitted to make antimensia in any other way
except during the hallowing 30 of a new church ; those are
mistaken who through innovation prepare them in any other
way, becoming transgressors of ecclesiastical traditions and
offering, as it is said, gifts which are not truly gifts but instead
useless/' 31

By the time of St. Symeon of Thessalonica (d. 1429), however, the
consecration of antimensia even apart from the consecration of a fixed
altar was already in common use. 32 It is easy to understand the ne-
cessity for this as (unconsecrated) oratories multiplied while on the other
hand, there already existed enough consecrated churches and not many
new ones were being built and hallowed ; consequently the demand for
antimensia could not keep up with the supply to be had on the now rare
occasion of the consecration of an altar. This new ceremony, as we will
see below, imitated in almost all particulars the consecration of fixed
altars.

2. Regarding the composition of the Byzantine Order for the Con-
secration of a Fixed Altar, Archimandrite Placidus De Meester, o.s.B.,
distinguishes in his monumental study, Rituale-Benedizionale Bizantino,33
three distinct types of offices, which may be classified as follows :

29 It should be noted that the consecration or "hallowing" of a church in
the Byzantine Rite, just as in the Latin Rite, always includes the consecration
of the fixed altar by the Bishop, and so sometimes the terms consecration of
churches and consecration of altars are used synonymously. Cfr. De Meester,
op. ext., pp. 159-160, 233-234.

30 Kiwicz, op. cit., p. 45 prefers "hallowing" as the English translation
of the Greek "Kathierosis" (xa6i£pcD<u<;) and the Paleoslavic "osvjascjenije"
(ocBflmeHHe) ; for his reasons cfr. op. cit., pp. 45~54 I in brief, he opts for "hal-
lowing" because this word can comprise the multiple acts which can be grouped
under kathierosis and osvjascjenije, such as the consecration, dedication and
opening of a church ;

31 P.G. 119 : 976. Cfr. also Amanieu, DDC, col. 586 ; Petrides, EO, p. 195.

32 Cfr. Symeon of Thessalonica, P.G. 155 : 3X3> 332 ; also De Meester,
op. cit., p. 234.

33 Op. cit., De Meester, pp. 233-239.

1) The Allation Type because it is contained in the Codex Allatianus
and related Mss. of the XIV-XV c. ; 34 this type was published by James
Goar in his Euchologion (Venice, 1730). 35

2) The Sinaitic Type which is contained in the Codex Sinaiticus
N. 993 (XVI c.) ; 36 the ceremony described by St. Symeon of Thessalo-
nica 37 and that presently used by the Russian Church 38 closely resemble
the Sinaitic Type.

3) The Greek-Venetian Type because this type is found in the Ve-
netian editions 39 (XVII-XIX cc.) of the Greek Euchologion, and repro-
duced by Goar 40 as the Office used by the Greek Church at his time ; this
type was adopted by the Roman edition 41 of the Greek Euchologion.

34 Loc. cit., pp. 234-239.

35 Goar, op. cit., pp. 518-519 ; on p. 518 Goar notes that of the ancient
MSS. known to him, only the Codex Allatianus contains an office for the con-
secration of antimensia apart from the hallowing of a church. The ETXOAOriON
TO META {Euchologion to Mega-Greek, meaning "large Prayer-Book") is a
liturgical book of the Greek Church (Catholic and Orthodox), a combination
Missal-Pontifical-Ritual, in which the Office for the consecration of antimensia is
found. Its equivalent in the churches using Paleoslav is the Hhhobhhkb (ci-
novnik - book of services). Sometimes extracts from these books, containing
blessings and occasional services performed by priests are called in Greek
ETXOAOriON (Euchologion - without the title "large" or "great" - TO META)
or in Paleoslav : Tpe6HHKi> (Trebnik : "That which is needed to celebrate").

36 De Meester, op. cit., pp. 235, 237-238 : "which, of the various types,
resembles most closely the consecration of a fixed altar."

37 P.G. 155 : 332-333 ; cfr. also De Meester, op. cit., p. 239.

38 The Russian ceremonial for the consecration of antimensia outside of
the consecration of a fixed altar is much longer than the corresponding Greek
Office and is very similar to that described by Symeon of Thessalonica ; thus, as
in many other cases, the Russian Church has preserved the more primitive prac-
tices originally inherited from the Greek Church - De Meester, op. cit., p. 235 ;
Petrides, DACL, col. 2326 ; Petrides, EO, p. 201.

39 While under Turkish occupation, the Greek Church was prevented from
printing any books in Greece ; many Greeks fled to Italy and particularly to
Venice where they set up Greek printeries in which liturgical books for the whole
Petrides, DACL, col. 2326 ; Petrides, EO, p. 201. We might further note that
the Russian Church follows the Typikon of St. Sabbas (of Jerusalem) as did all
the branches of the Byzantine Church until the publication of the "Typikon of
the Great Church (of Constantinople) which was an innovation introduced into
the Patriarchate of Constantinople at the end of the XIX c. Cfr. Alexander
Schmemann, Introduction to Liturgical Theology, trans. A. E. Moorhouse, Lon-
don : The Faith Press, Ltd., 1966, passim.

40 Goar, op. cit., pp. 517-518.

41 Cfr. De Meester, op. cit., p. 235, also EYXOAOITON TO META
Rome : Tipografia Polyglotta (Vaticana), 1873, pp. 328-330.

Today, antimensia may be consecrated either on the occasion of
the consecration of a fixed altar during the ceremonies for the hallowing
of a church, or outside of these circumstances 42 by means of a special
rite which imitates the consecration of an altar and is contained in the
Byzantine Equivalents of the Pontifical. 43

B. Preparations Necessary for the Consecration

The following objects are to be prepared for the consecration of
antimensia :

1. The antimension or antimensia which is /are to be consecrated :
a piece or pieces of linen or silk with the Deposition from the Cross and /or
entombment depicted upon them, and the other details mentioned above
in chapter three. 44

2. Small cloth bags which will be used to contain the relics ; as
we will see below, these may either be sewn to the antimensia before or
during the ceremony of consecration. It is more practical to do so be-
forehand both to have the aid of skilled feminine hands (only major
clerics may touch an antimension after consecration) 45 and also to save
time if there are many.

3. Particles of authentic Sacred Relics of one or more Sainted
Martyrs. 46

42 The Greek Church in modern times makes little use of the ceremony
for the consecration of antimensia outside the consecration of a fixed altar, whe-
reas the Russian, Ukranian, and Ruthenian Churches make extensive use of it.
Cfr. De Meester, op. cit., p. 159 ; Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 707 ; Pedalion, pp. 437-
438 ; Petrides, DTC, Col. 1391 ; Shipman, op. cit., p. 564.

43 Cfr. De Meester, op. cit., pp. 174-181, 233-239 ; Kiwitz, op. cit., pp. 30-
41 ; Lubeck, op. cit., p. 413 ; Petrides, DTC, col. 1391 ; Petrides, EO, pp. 200-
202. Also cfr. above p. 64, note 35.

44 Cfr. above, pp. 33 ff. Sometimes a special dignitary, experienced in
these matters, is entrusted with the task of preparing the unconsecrated anti-
mensia and the materials necessary for their consecration. In the Great Church
(Constantinople) this is the <5cpxov t&v ^ocXtjouov (archon ton ekklesion - over-
seer of the church, or "ecclesiarch") - Petrides, EO, p. 199- In the Russian Church
it is the Kjno^ap-b (klyucar - Sacristan or "keykeeper") or an experienced priest
to whom this honor falls according to the choice of the bishop - Nikolskij,
Antimins, ch. IX ; Archpriest Alexios Maltzew, Begrabnis-Ritus und einige
specielle und alterthumliche Gottesdienste der Orthodox-Katholischen Kirche des
Morgenlandes (Berlin : Karl Siegismend, 1898), part II, p. 144.

45 Cfr. below, pp. 141-144.

46 Nothing is mentioned about requirements of authentication - this
concept is not as developed as in Latin Rite Canon Law. Cfr. above pp. 53-54

6 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

4. Holy Myron (Chrism) 47 and a small brush or rod to be used to
apply the Myron to the antimensia.

5. Wax-mastic 48 and some means to heat the same if necessary
to make it more pliable (otherwise it can be warmed in the hands of one
of the assistants who works it with his fingers until soft enough).

47 The Holy Myron, is the Sacred Chrism of the Byzantine Rite, composed
of olive oil, balsam (balm), and about 55 other herbs, flowers, and essences pain-
stakingly prepared (it must be cooked continuously, day and night, while the
Holy Gospels are read over it, from Holy Monday morning until Holy Wed-
nesday afternoon). It is consecrated by the Patriarch (or a Bishop in those
branches of the Byzantine Rite not subject to a Patriarch) during the Divine
Liturgy on Holy Thursday. Myron means "perfume" in Greek, and the Byzan-
tine Myron is very fragrant. Cfr. L. Petit, "Composition et consecration du saint-
chreme", Les Echos d'Orient, III (1899-1900), pp. 129-142. The Holy Myron is
applied to the antimension by the Bishop who consecrates it, not with his thumb,
but with a small brush or rod ; thus : Hhhobhhkt> ApxHepefiCKaro CBHmeHHOC-
JiyweHMH (Cinovnik Arkhierejskago Svjascennosluzenia), Jordanville, New York:
Holy Trinity Monastery Press, 1965, pp. 136, 141 ; Consecration et Inauguration
d'Une Eglise Selon Le Rituel De L'Eglise Russe, Chevtogne : Monastere de Chev-
togne, 1957, P- 2f> > Isabel Florence Hapgood, Service Book of the Orthodox-
Catholic Apostolic Church (III ed.), Brooklyn, New York : Syrian Antiochean
Orthodox Archdiocese, 1956, p. 493 ; Maltzew, op. cit., pp. 115, 129 : G. Mon-
tague, "Use of the Antimension", Irish Ecclesiastical Review (V Series), 73
(May 1950), p. 456 mistakes the Greek word Mupov (myron) for au-upva (smyrna :
Myrrh) when, speaking of the consecration of the Byzantine antimension, he says:
"...it is anointed three times with myrrh".

48 Wax-mastic (Greek K/jpou-aaxtxY) - Keromastike) , (Slavonic BocKOMa-
cthkt> - Voskomastik), (Latin Ceromasticum) is a type of cement used to enclose
the relics and fix them firmly in the small bags. Sometimes the cloth bags are also
afhxed to the antimensia with wax-mastic but this is now rare because it is safer
to sew the cloth sacks to the antimensia. The wax-mastic is made by heating
together pure bees-wax, mastic (a resin from the tree Pistacia Lentiscus culti-
vated principally on the island of Chios, Greece ; it is much prized by the Greeks
as a natural chewing gum), myrrh, aloes, frankincense (olibanum), and marble
dust. Some Rose oil or essence (Attar of Roses), is often added. The amount of
wax should be approximately equal to the weight of the other substances taken
together, which, among themselves, should be of equal quantites. They are
melted and boiled together for about 20 minutes and then allowed to cool. The
wax-mastic, according to the proportion of the ingredients, should remain some-
what flexible and adhesive, easily workable with the heat of the hands ; it
should not be so soft as to melt with the heat of the summer nor so stiff as to
crack easily with the cold of the winter. Cfr. Cinovik (Jordanville), pp. 136-
137 ; Consecration Et Inauguration D'Une Eglise Selon Le Rituel De V Eglise Russe,
op. cit., p. 17 ; De Meester, op. cit., pp. 185, 189 ; Goar, Euchologion, pp. 493,
655-656 ; Korolevskij, op. cit., p. 498 ; Gaetano Moroni, "Corporale", Di-

6. Rose-water 49 or good church wine 60 or both 61 in container(s)
with aspergil for sprinkling the same after it has been blessed.

zionario di Erudizione Ecclesiastica (Venice : Tipografia Emiliana, 1842), vol.
XVII, p. 248 ; Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 800 ; Salaville, Introduction, pp. 133-134.
A. J. Schulte, "Altar", Catholic Encyclopedia (New York : Robert Appleton
Co., 107), vol. I, p. 348, quotes Neale (John Mason Neale, A History of the
Holy Eastern Church, London : Joseph Masters, 1850, p. 187 ; this work was
inaccessible to me) as saying : "the antimins is stiffened with a mixture of relics
and wax or fragrant gum pounded together;" this statement would seem to be
mistaken : while clearly referring to the wax-mastic, it implies that this is used
to stiffen the whole antimension and not just to enclose the relics in the small
pouch ; furthermore, the relics are not pounded together with the other ingre-
dients ; the wax-mastic consists of a mixture of wax and fragrant gums (including
mastic)>. From the list of the ingredients of which the wax-mastic is composed,
it may be seen that the important ingredients are wax, mastic and perhaps
marble dust (which acts as binder and renders the mixture more rodent and insect
resistant) to form a useful and pliable cement ; the other ingredients have sym-
bolic value : 1) the antimension, as we mentioned above, represents the Burial
Shroud of Christ, and thus in the wax-mastic are mixed myrrh and aloes such
as were used to prepare the Body of our Lord for burial {John, 19 : 39) and
marble dust as a symbol of the rock-hewn sepulcher and the stone which closed
it. The other fragrant substances also symbolize the sweet spices used to anoint
Jesus' Body. 2) The adhesive quality of the wax-mastic symbolizes Christ's
love for and union with man. Thus St. Symeon of Thessalonica, P.G. 155 :
312 (who is the first to specifically mention the use of wax-mastic) ; cfr. also
De Meester, op. ext., p. 185; Hapgood, op. ext., p. 614 and above pp. 21-22, 52.

49 The modern Russian Euchologia and the Sinatic Type of formulae pre-
scribe rose-water, called "rhodostamos" (Greekpo8ocTau.6?, Slavonic poaocraMa -
rodostamata) ; cfr. Cinovnik, p. 136 ; De Meester, op. cit., pp. 186, 196, 238 ;
Maltzew, op. cit,m p. 115. If authentic rose-water is unavailable, a substitute
may be made by shaking up together water and a few drops of rose-essence.

50 Cinovnik, loc. cit., and Maltzew, loc. ext., (therefore modern usage of
Russian Church) mention "good church-wine" as a substitute for rose-water
where this is unavailable. Cfr. also De Meester, op. cit., pp. 186, 196. The
church-wine (altar wine) used by the Russian Church (and the Byzantine Church
in general), is always red wine, as befits the Eucharistic symbolism ; cfr. Ni-
kolskij, Ustav, pp. 802, 814, 818.

61 Some sources mention perfumed wine (probably a mixture of wine and
rose-water) which they call oivaOr) (oinathe), in contradistinction to ordinary
wine olvo? (oinos), thus: Consecration Et Inauguration D'Une Eglise Selon Le
RituelDeL'EgliseRusse,op. cit., pp. 9 23-25; ETXOAOITON TO META, op. ext.,
pp. 186, 235. Others mention explicitly a mixture of wine and rose-water;
Hapgood, op. cit., pp. 493, 497, 498, 614 ; Hieromonk Anthony Koren, s.j.,
KaK CBHTHTb XpaM H ero IIpnHaHJie>KHOCTH {Kak Svjatit Khram i Jevo Pri-
nadljelnosti ; mimeographed ; Rome : Pontificium Collegium Russicum, 1962),

y. Euchologion or Cinovnik (i.e. Byzantine Pontifical). 52

8. A cloth apron 53 for the Bishop to wear over his vestments to
protect them, and suitable cloths and/or sponges 54 to wipe up stray
Myron, blessed aromatic wine, etc.

9. Pen and ink with which the Bishop will sign the antimensia at
the end of the ceremony. 55

pp. 11, 14, 17, 18; Tpe6HHKT> (Trebnik : "ritual"; Recensio Vulgata pro Russis,
Bulgaris, Serbis ; 5 vols. ; Vatican City (Rome) : Libreria Editrice Vaticana
(Press of Italo-Greek Monstery of Grottaf errata), 1945-1953), vol. Ill (1951),
pp. 173, 182, 183.

52 The Echologion, as we noted above on p. 103, is the Greek Byzantine
Missal-Pontifical-Ritual. The Slavonic recension of the Byzantine Pontifical
is called the Cinovnik. While the Greek Euchologion contains both the service
for the hallowing of a Church (and hence the consecration of antimensia on the
occasion of the consecration of a fixed altar) and also that for the consecration
of antimensia apart from the consecration of a fixed altar, the Slavonic Cinovnik
contains the consecration of antimensia apart from a fixed altar but omits the
hallowing of a church; this latter ceremony is to be found in the Trebnik (Ritual)
and also published separately as an extract. Cfr. Kiwicz, op. cit., pp. 23-24 ;
Koren, op. cit., pp. 1-2, 10.

53 Called in Greek aa(3avov (savanon) and in Slavonic CpaHHiia (sracica) ;
it is a white cloth (silk for Bishops ; linen for concelebrating Priests) apron fa-
stened with three pairs of ribbons or cord : around the neck, around the chest,
and around the waist ; this apron reaches to the feet and preserves the Bishop's
vestments from being soiled. It was already used in the time of St. Symeon of
Thessalonica (d. 1430), who treats of its symbolism (P.G. 155 : 309). Cfr. De
Meester, op. cit., pp. 184, 191 ; Goar, op. cit., pp. 305-306, 602-668 ; Hapgood,
op. cit., pp. 494, 613 ; Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 6, 805, 813 ; Salaville, op. cit., p. 157.
In the Cinovnik, loc. cit., and Maltze w,op. cit., pp. 116-117, the sraiica is called
a ji6hthoht> (lention : towel) and two towels are fastened around the Bishop's
arms also ; Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 813 equates the sracica and lention, and gives also
the name 3anom> (zapon).

54 These cloths and/or sponges are often cut up into pieces after the ce-
remony and given to the assisting clergy and faithful as sacred souvenirs. Cfr.
De Meester, op. cit., pp. 222-223, Consecration Et Inauguration D'Une Eglise
Selon Le Rituel De U Eglise Russe, p. 25 ; Salaville, op. cit., p. 156. Cfr. also
below, p. 79.

65 Special rubber-stamps can be made up to record the year, month and
date, and the name and title of the Bishop consecrator, but afterwards the
Bishop should sign each antimensia by hand. One supposes that a stamp bearing
the signature of the Bishop could be used in the case where there is a great
quantity of antimensia to be signed, but this would seem to be less consonant
with the tradition requiring the signing of each antimension by the Bishop him-

C. The Ceremony of Consecration

I. In the primitive rite, 56 the antimensia were made from the
pieces of cloth used to wipe the altar after the Bishop had anointed it
with blessed aromatic wine and Holy Myron ; these were cut into suitable
pieces and signed by the Bishop 57 without any special prayers or ce-
remonies, except that they remained on the newly consecrated fixed altar
for seven days while the Divine Liturgy was celebrated on them. 58

self, as mentioned above, p. 68. The ink should be permanent and waterproof,
if possible. A laundrymarking pen with fine enough point would serve well.

56 For primitive rite, cfr. : Reply of Patriarch Manuel Charitopolos of
Constantinople to Metropolitan Romanos of Dyrrachium, P.G. 119 : 809 ; Wil-
liam Beveridge, op. cit., P.G. 137 : 613 ; Symeon of Thessalonica, op. ext.,
P.G. 155: 313, 316; Amanieu, op. cit., col. 586-587; Braun, op. cit., I, pp.
746-748 ; De Meester, op. cit., pp. 195-197, 523 ; Lubeck, op. cit., pp. 408-
409, 411; P6trides, EO, pp. 197-200; Petrovskij, op. cit., col. 800; Raes,
op. cit., p. 61.

57 The word used by Patriarch Manuel Charitopoulos {op. cit., P.G. 119 :
809) is Ypa?0^0^ (graphomenou), which may signify "signed (written upon)"
or "painted" in Byzantine Greek ; in Migne (P.G. 119 : 8iob) it is translated by
the Latin word "scripto" with a variant reading of "picto" ; however it would
seem logical to prefer the meaning "signed" or "inscribed" by the Bishop, as
one would not imagine that the Bishop would attend to the artistic or iconografic
amenities. Petrides (EO, p. 196) seems to prefer the latter interpretation while
De Meester {op. cit., p. 233 simply says : "The pieces (of cloth) were ornamented
with some design or picture to indicate their new use." "Si ornavano i pezzi di
qualche disegno o pittura per indicare loro nuovo uso." De Meester does not
mention whose task it is to ornament the antimension. Cfr. also Amanieu, op.
cit., col. 586. We have seen above that from the XVIII century on, it became
common to prepare antimensia beforehand with printed images and inscriptions.
For some reason which he does not explain, Professor Lubeck twice {op. cit.,
pp. 406, 407) refers to above mentioned details given by Romanos, Metropolitan
of Dyrrachium in his question to Patriarch Manuel, as a description of a "local
Rite" ; yet it seems unusual to the present writer that in his reply, Patriach
Manuel does not mention that this method of preparing antimensia was unknown
in Constantinople ; Romanos seems to take it for granted that this rite was well-
known for he says (P.G. 119 : 809) : "We know that antimensia are made, after
a Bishop has performed a dedication (of a Church), from the cloth which was
used around the altar (to wipe the altar), which is cut into pieces, inscribed, and
given to priests : and without these they cannot perform the Sacrifice. Where
these (antimensia) are lacking, what is to be done so that priests do not have to
remain without celebrating the Holy Mysteries ?" (Manuel replies that antimen-
sia are only necessary on non-consecrated or doubtfully consecrates altars V

58 Cfr. John of Kitros, op. cit., P.G. 119: 976; Matthew Blastares,
op. cit., P.G. 144 : 1060. According to the Byzantine mystique, the antimensia

Matthew Blastaris, in his Syntagma (1335 A.D.) is the first to note that
the antimensia received a separate unction with Holy Myron (rather
than merely being used to wipe up the Chrism with which the fixed altar
was consecrated) ; 59 as we have seen in our section on the Ornamentation
and Inscriptions (on the Antimension) , 60 it is at this time that the anti-
mensia become more ornate, and it was no doubt felt necessary to prepare
them in a special manner beforehand and thus they could no longer be
used for wiping the altar for fear of ruining them - hence the necessity
for a separate anointing.

2. St. Symeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica (d. 1429) describes in
his Concerning the Holy Temple and its Consecration, 61 the late medieval
rite for consecrating antimensia : the Bishop prays for the descentof the
the Holy Spirit upon the antimensia ; he then washes and sprinkles
them, 62 and anoints them (with Holy Myron) three times in the form of

(and other objects) are consecrated or blessed on a consecrated altar because
they draw their "sanctification" from the altar itself. Thus John of Kitros (loc.
cit.) explains antimensia and the sanctification residing in them : "They are
placed on non-consecrated altars, because it is from the antimension that the
non-consecrated altar and the sacrifice offered receive their blessing. An altar,
once consecrated, sanctifies by itself gifts which are not holy in themselves.
The word of the Lord in the Gospel is a witness to this when He says (Alt. 23 :
17-19) that the altar and the temple are greater than the gifts and than the
gold, for one sanctifies the gifts and the other the gold. If, therefore, a church
is not consecrated, the sanctifying power (rj ayiacmxr) Suvapug) of the anti-
mension supplies for this deficiency. This is why it is never permitted to cele-
brate the Sacrifice without an antimension in a non-consecrated church : for
how can the altar sanctify the gift, it has not itself been sanctified ?" This ex-
plains why the antimensia must be consecrated upon an altar which itself has
been consecrated and why it is preferable to leave them on the altar for seven
days. Cfr. also Lubeck, op. cit., pp. 405, 413 ; Petrides, EO, pp. 195, 200,
202 ; Raes, op. cit., p. 61. Cfr. below, pp. 78-79.

69 Cfr. Matthew Blastaris, op. cit., P.G. 144 : 1288.

80 Cfr. above, pp. 37 ff.

61 IIEPI TOY 'AHOY NAOT. especially ch. 127 (P.G. 155; pp. 332-334).

62 In imitation of what is done to the fixed altar itself when it is con-
secrated. Later, as we have seen, the antimensia were no longer used to wipe
the altar nor washed because of the danger of obliterating the already prepared
design and inscriptions; thus Nikolskij (Ustav, p. 803) after saying that when
consecrating an antimension everything is done to it which is done to a fixed
altar at its consecration, notes the following exception : "Thus antimensia, being
made of cloth, are not washed like the altar, but are sprinkled instead, for fear
of damaging (cancelling out) the holy image on it." Cfr. also S. Diomidov,
Ukazatiek arkhijerejskij slulenij (Samara : 1915), p. 184.

a cross 63 while he sings "alleluia." Particles of Sacred Relics are anointed
with Holy Myron and placed in a small cloth beg which is then sewn to
the eastern side of the antimensia. 64 Symeon also describes other pieces
of cloth sewn to the antimension, of which modern usage conserves only
the most jejune vestiges, as will be discussed below under Ch5., Use
of the Antimension, I. material aspect. 65 He also mentions that the Con-
secrator wears an apron over his vestments. 66 As we have seen before,
Symeon declares that all that is done to the Holy Table (fixed Altar)
at its consecration is done to the antimension also. 67

63 Goar (op. cit., p. 517) and, as we shall see below, the modern Pontificals
specify that these crosses be made with the Holy Myron in the center of the top
surface of the antimension and one on each side (i.e. left and right) of the top
surface -(observe). Cfr. also Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 814.

64 I.e. on the part fathest from the priest. Petrovskij, op. cit., col. 801,
mentions that the cloth bag may be sewn either to the observe or to the reverse
side of the antimension ; it is usually sewn to the reverse (underside) in modern
times. Cfr. above, p. 52.

65 See p. 105 ff. (already mentioned in the section on material pp.
36-37)-

66 Cfr. p. 68, note 53, Above.

67 P.G. 155 : 313, 333. Cfr. also : Matthew Blastaris, op. cit., P.G.
144 : 1060 ; De Meester, op. cit., pp. 233-234, 237 ; Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 803.
The ceremonies used in consecrating the altar (and therefore also the antimen-
sion), especially the ablutions, the anointing with Myron, and the celebration
of the Holy Mysteries upon it, are compared by the Byzantine commmentators
to the reception of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirma-
tion and Eucharist). Thus Nicholas Cabasilas, Metropolitan of Thessalonica
(d. 1371), in his Concerning Life in Christ which treats of the Sacraments of
Christian Initiation, in Book 5 (P.G. 150 : 625-628) compares the rites of sprink-
ling the altar and antimensia with wine and rose water, and the anointing of
the same with Holy Myron (Chrism), with the Baptism and Confirmation of a
Christian ; cfr. also : Consecration et Inauguration d'une Eglise, etc., p. 24 :
Hapgood, op. cit., p. 614 : "As the Temple is fashioned after the image of our
bodies, which are the temple of God (2 Cor. vi. 16) and members of Christ (j Cor.
xii, 27), that rite which is performed at the Consecration resembles holy Baptism
and holy Chrismation (Confirmation). Therefore at a Consecration, rose-water,
the holy Chrism, white garments, and tapers are used ; and the building, like
the font, is compassed about in procession) Symeon of Thessalonica (d. 1430),
interprets (P.G. 155 : 316) the wine as a symbol of that which Melchisedech of-
fered, the rosewater as the unguent of the sinful woman, and the use of Myron
as the anointing of the Body of Christ for the grave." H. Leonard Pass (op.
cit., p. 341) remaks : "A study of the earliest liturgical documents, dealing with
the consecration of altars, reveals the fact that in the West two types of services
existed side by side — the Roman and the Gallican ; the latter, as may be

3. In regard to the modern Rite for the Consecration of Antimen-
sia, we can give in a work of this nature only an outline ; the reader is
directed to the Byzantine Pontificals of the various usages 68 and to

expected, closely resembling the Byzantine formulae of dedication. Briefly, it
may be said that the Roman rite is of a funerary character, while the Gallican
and Eastern rites resemble the ceremonies of Christian initiation." Cfr. also
J. B. O'Connell, "Consecration of Altar", NCE, pp. 351-352.

68 In a work of the present scope it is possible to make only a survey of
the principal liturgical literature ; in accordance with this principle, at least one
source for each of the main branches of the Byzantine Rite has been given below.
For a more detailed study of this field, the reader will find useful as a guide to
the liturgical literature the following authors : Angel Santos Hernandez,
Iglesias de Oriente, vol. II, Repertorio Bibliografico, Santander : Editorial Sal
Terrae, 1963, pp. 362-384, 401-410, 419-426 ; 434-447, passim ; J. M. Sauget,
Bibliographic des Liturgies Orientates (1900-1960) Rome : Pontificium Institu-
tum Orientalium Studiorum, 1962, pp. 22, 29, 55-56, 59-61, 67-69, 79 ; Me-
letius Michael Solovey, The Byzantine Divine Liturgy, History and Corn-
mentary, Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press, 1970,
passm, esp. pp. 27-97 (cfr. also the scholarly review of this book by Fr. Ro-
bertaf, s.j. in Diakonia 8 (1973) : 164-178) ; Th. A. Vismas and Lucas Brink-
hoff, Critical Bibliography of Liturgical Literature (English edition), Nijme-
gen : Bestelcentrale der V.S.K.B. Publ., 1961, pp. 67-71 ; also De Meester,
op. cit., pp. ix-cvn, 149-164, 166-244; Kiwitz, op. cit., pp. 15-24, 30-44.
The following are the principal liturgical books consulted for the present
work. For the Greek Church : ETXOAOriON TO META (Euchologion to
Mega) (Greek Orthodox ; ed. Nicholas Pan. Papadopoulos) Athens : Michael I
Saliveros, 1927, pp. 243-245 ; ETXOAOriON TO MET A (Euchologion to
Mega) (Greek Catholic), Rome, Vatican Polyglot Press, 1873, pp. 228-330 ;
Goar, op. cit., pp. 517-522, 655-671. For the melkite Church : The Great
Euchologion (in Arabic), Jerusalem : Franciscan Fathers Press, 1865, pp. 207-
210. For the Syrian Orthodox Church : The Larger Book of Needs (in Arabic,
translated and compiled by Raphael Haweeny, Bishop of Brooklyn and Head
of the Syrian Greek Orthodox Mission in North America), New York : The Daily
Mirror Publishing House, 1913, pp. 604-614. For the Russian Church : Hhht>
ApxnepettcKaro HettCTBa b o >k e ctb e h h li xt> JiHTypraft aHTHMHHCOBT> h UepBeft
(Cin Arkhijerejskago Djejsva Bozestvennikh Liturij i osvjaScjenie Antiminsov
i Cerkvei), Moscow : 1668 ; Hhhobhhkl ApxnepeftcKaro CBflmeHHOcjiyjKeHHH
(Cinovnik Arkhijerejskago Svjascjennoslu2jenija), Warsaw : The Orthodox Me-
tropolitan Press, 1 94 1, fols. 46b-49b ; Hhhobhhk'B ApxHepeftcnaro CBHmeimo-
CJiy>KeHHH (Cinovnik Arkhijerejskago Svjascjennoslu2jenija) Jordanville, New
York : St. Job of Pochaev and Holy Trinity Monastery Press, 1965, pp. 136-146 ;
Tpe6HHKi> (Trebnik) Moscow: Patriarchal Press, 1956, part. II, pp. 50-81; for
the Ukrainian Church : TpeSHHKt (Trebnik) (Ukrainian Orthodox), Kiev :
Percersk Lavra, 1864, fols. 335-338 ; JJorojiHHTejraBbift TpeGHHin. (Dogolnit-
jelnij Trebnik : "Supplementary Ritual") (Ukrainian Orthodox, bound together

modern liturgical commentators and translators 69 for the full texts of the
prayers and ceremonies ; 69* we again note that the antimensia may be
consecrated together with a fixed altar, or outside of this circumstano .

I. During the Consecration of a Fixed Altar

When antimensia are consecrated on the occasion of the Hallowing
of a New Church, 70 as many antimensia as are to be consecrated, ii -
eluding, naturally, one which will be used for the new altar itself, 71
are prepared before the ceremony together with the various materia 9
already spoken of above. 72

After the Bishop and attendant Priests have fixed the wooden
mensajo its columns, and washed the mensa with soap and blessed warm

with the preceeding Trebnik), Kiev, Pechersk Lavra, 1871, fols. 14-33 ; JJo-
roJiHHTeJlbHHit TpeSHHK-b (Dogolnitjelnij Trebnik) (Ukrainian Orthodox ; Kiev :
Tipografija Kievo-Pecerskija Ouspenskija Lavri, 192 1), pp. 17-43 ; CJiy>Ke6HHKT,
CBHTHTeJiCKHH (SluZebnik Svjatitjelskij), (Ukrainian Catholic ; ed. Alexander
Bacinskij), Lvov : Lit. A. Prislak, 1886, pp. 98-102. (The Ruthenian Catholics
generally use the Ukrainian Catholic Pontificals and Rituales).

69 In English: Hapgood, op. cit., pp. 493-511, 613-615. In French:
Consecration et Inauguration d'une Eglise selon le Rituel de L'Eglise Russe, op.
cit. ; Petrides, E.O., in German : Lubeck, op. cit. ; Maltzev, op. cit., part II,
pp. 1 14-142; Archpriest Michael Rajewsky, Euchologion der Orthodox-Katho-
lischen Kirche, Vienna: Druch Von L. C. Zamarski & C. Dittmarsch, 1861,
pp. 143-193. In Italian : De Meester, op. cit., pp. 149-164, 166-244. In Rus-
sian : Nikolskij, Ustav, pp. 7-9, 429, 797-815. Cfr. below, pp. 400 ff.

69a we have included an English translation of the Russian order for con-
secrating antimensia apart from the consecration of an altar, in Appendix I.
pp. 277-284.

70 For the complicated rules concerning the feast upon which a Church
(and altar) may be consecrated, cfr. Kiwitz, op. cit., pp. 59-64 ; let it suffice
here to note that ordinarily a church is not to be consecrated on the feast
of the Mystery or Saint to which it is to be dedicated because of the resul-
tant conflict in the Divine Office. At times the ceremonies of the hallowing
of a church are spread over two consecutive days : on the first day the altar and
church are consecrated, and on the second day the "opening of the church", i.e.
for public worship, takes place. It is more usual to perform both acts on the
same day. Cfr. Kiwitz, op. cit., pp. 45-54, 61-62, and below, pp. 296-207.

71 Therefore, we may note that there is normally never to be the conse-
cration of an altar without the simultaneous consecration of at least one anti-
mension. Cfr. De Meester, op. cit., pp. 187, 195, 197, 198 ; Hapgood, op. cit..
PP- 493-51 1-

71 Cfr. above, pp. 65 ff.

water, it may be dried either with sponges 73 or with the prepared an-
timensia. 74

When the altar has been washed with blessed rhodostamos, 76 the
priests present the antimensia which are also washed with rhodostamos
and then used to dry the altar. 76

After the Bishop has anointed the mensa and its columns with
Holy Myron, he anoints the antimensia and once more uses them to
dry the altar, 77 while Ps. 133 is sung. The antimensia are put aside.

At the part of the ceremony in which the Relics of martyrs are
solemnly deposited under the altar, the Bishop takes a portion of the Holy
Relics, and after anointing them with Holy Myron, encloses them with
wax-mastic and places them in the small bags or pockets affixed to the
back of the antimensia. 78

73 Cfr. above, p. 68, note 54, below p. 79.

74 It is preferable to use cloths and/or sponges for drying the altar be-
cause of the danger of ruining the antimensia (i.e. the ink used for the printing
the images and inscriptions may run) ; cfr. above, p. 68, note 55.

76 Cfr. above, p. 67, note 51.

76 Again, it is preferable to sprinkle the antimensia lightly with the blessed
rose water (Rhodostamos), instead of washing them with it. Cfr. above, p. 67,
note 49.

77 Again, it is preferable to use cloths and /or sponges to wipe up the
Chrism. Cfr. Hapgood, op. cit., p. 499, where she also seems to imply that the
places on the altar anointed with the Chrism are not wiped at all : "Then the
sacristan bringeth the Holy Chrism. The Bishop, taking the brush, anointeth
the Altar, in cross-form. The Proto-deacon, saith, for the Altar, and for each
corporal : 'Let us attend'. The Bishop maketh upon the Altar, three crosses,
one in the middle, and one on each side, a little lower down, saying 'Alleluia'
thrice, at each. And he anointeth also the pillars of the Altar, on two sides, and
on the middle, and on the edges. Thereafter the Priests take the Corporal {Cor-
porals) and lay it (them) on the Altar, one by one, below the crosses, which are traced
with the Holy Chrism, that these crosses be not erased. The Bishop maketh three
crosses on each corporal (antimins) with the Holy Chrism, which is on the altar.
And when this is accomplished, Psalm CXXXIII is read."

78 Goar, op. cit., p. 522 notes that the practical purpose for using the
wax-mastic is to keep the particles of relics from deteriorating into dust and
being lost. Cfr. above, p. 66, note 48. There are two different procedures which
may be used for anointing the relics with Holy Myron (Chrism), encasing them
in wax-mastic, and fixing them in the small cloth bag. The first method fellows
the Sinaitic tradition, the second the Allatian tradition. Cfr. above, pp. 63-
65. The first is to place the relics in wax-mastic, anoint them with Myron,
and then put them into the bag ; thus De Meester, op. cit., p. 236 ; Goar, op.
cit., p. 518 ; Lubeck, op. cit., p. 413 ; Petrides, E.O., p. 201. The second pro-

The antimensia remain on the altar for seven days, and the Divine
Liturgy is celebrated on them after the consecration of the altar and
each day for the following seven days. After this the Bishop signs each
one and they may be distributed to Priests and churches as necessity arises .

2. Apart from the Consecration of a Fixed Altar

The assisting priests place the antimensia to be consecrated on the
altar. 79 The Bishop, fully vested as for Pontifical Divine Liturgy 80 and
with an apron over his vestments, after some initial prayers, blesses the

cedure is to pour some melted wax-mastic into the cloth bag, put the relics into
the bag,^ anoint the relics in the bag with Holy Myron or even pour some Myron
in on top of the relics, and then to finally pour more melted wax-mastic over th'»
anointed relics to fix them in the bag ; thus De Meester, op. cit., p. 237 ; Malt-
zev, op. cit., pp. 139-140 ; Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 815 ; Petrides, E.O., p. 202. From
practical experience, it would seem that the former method is preferable ; the
second method is rather difficult when working with small objects. A pro-
cedure found very useful is the following implementation of the first method :
small spheres of wax-mastic about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm.) in diameter are rolled
between the fingers until soft enough to be flattened into thin disks ; the small
particles of relics are placed on these disks and pressed slightly into the surface
so that they will not roll off the disk nor adhere to the Anointing Brush ; the
Bishop, using a brush, anoints the relics on the wax-mastic with Holy Myron ;
the disks are then folded up so that the wax-mastic completely encloses the relics
and they are then inserted into the cloth bags which have already been sewn
(before the ceremony) to the antimensia ; a flat metal or wooden object is then
used to press the wax-mastic flat in the bag and to thus affix it firmly to the bag;
if necessary, the bag may be sewn shut after the ceremony. The cloth bag or
sack is usually about one inch (2.5 cm.) square, Cfr. below, p. 84.

79 It is supposed that the antimensia are placed on a fixed consecrated
altar when they are consecrated, for it is from the already consecrated altar,
according to Byzantine theological and canonical considerations, that the anti-
mensia will draw their "force". Cfr. below, pp. 78-79 ; Symeon of Thessa-
lonica, P.G., 155 : 333, seems to imply that in his time the altar was first stripped
of its coverings so that the consecration was performed on the bare altar.

80 Since part of the ceremony is to celebrate the Divine Liturgy on the
newly consecrated antimensia, the consecration of antimensia can take place on
any day, usually before the' Divine Liturgy, or less often during the Divine Li-
turgy after the Dismissal of the Catechumens. Thus Maltzev, op. ext., p. 142,
says : "It is to be noted that this rite takes place before the Divine Liturgy ; it
may also take place during the Divine Liturgy after the exclamation, 'That
with us they too may glorify They most honorable and sublime name...' But
in general the Pontificals (Cinovniki) and the Rituals (or Typica- Ustavi) pre-
scribe that this rite take place before the Liturgy (and this is found more op-

the rhodostamos 81 and spinkles the antimensia three times with it saying,
"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Sprinkle
me with hyssop and I shall be clean : wash me and I shall be whiter
than snow." He then takes the Holy Myron (Chrism) and, having sung
the word "Alleluia" three times, he anoints the antimensia three times
by means of a brush dipped in the Myron, making a cross in the center,
and a cross at each side of the antimensia. In the meantime, the choir
sings Ps. 133 "Behold how good and pleasant it is, etc."

Then follow more prayers and a solemn procession with the Sacred
Relics of the Martyrs through the doors of the Ikonostasis and around
the altar with appropriate hymns and incensations. Particles of the Holy
Relics are anointed with Holy Myron, encased in wax-mastic, 82 and
placed in the small cloth bags or pockets affixed to the back of the an-
timensia.

After some final prayers, the Bishop leaves the sanctuary, the
appropriate Hour of the Divine Office is sung, and the Pontifical Liturgy
is celebrated (on the new antimensia) as usual.

The antimensia remain on the altar for seven 83 days during which
time the Divine Liturgy is celebrated on them each day ; afterwards they
are removed, signed by the Bishop, the data of consecration noted on
them, and then they may be distributed to Priests and churches as needed.

Various Eucholgia admit of minor divergencies, 84 i.e. the relics

portune) according to the rite described above, lest there be an interruption delay
in the course of the Divine Liturgy." "Diese Amtschandlung geschieht also vor
der heligen Liturgie ; sie wird hedoch auch wahrend der heligen Liturgie ver-
richtet und beginnt dann nach der Ausrufung : Auf dass auch sie mit uns preisen
mogen deinen allverehrten und hochherrlichen Namen. Indess verordnen die Agen-
den und Bestimmungen, dass diese Feierlichkeit vor der heligen Liturgie so vor
sich gehe, wie hier angegeben ist, auf dass in der heligen Liturgie keine Unter-
brechung und keine Verzogerung stattfinde."

81 Cfr. above, p. 67, note 49 ; p. 74, note 75.

82 Cfr. above, p. 66, note 48 ; page 74, note 78.

83 Cfr. above, p. 75.

84 Cfr. De Meester, op. cit., pp. 234-239 ; Goar, op. cit., pp. 517-522.
Thus according to some Ukrainian usages, the antimensia are anointed according
to the method used for Latin portable altars, i.e. in the center and the four cor-
ners ; the Bishop walks around the altar seven times, incensing the antimensia,
as in the Latin Rite ; the Bishop imposes his hands on the antimensia while
saying the prayer "O Lord of Heaven and earth..."' Cfr. A. O. Chojnackij,
Zapadnoruskaja, Cerkovnaja Unia v jeje bogusluieniu i ibriadach (Kiev : 1871),
p. 15 ; A. Bacinskij, Slulebnik Svjatitelskij (Lvov : 1886), p. 102.

are anointed with Chrism and enclosed in the antimensia prior to the
anointing of the antimension itself. 85

An examination of the primitive rite, the particulars underlined by
the Canonical Commentators, and the essentials which perdure through
the various readings of Ms and printed Eucholgia (pontificals), lead one
to the conclusion that the two great moments of the consecration of
antimensia are i) its anointing with Holy Myron86 by the Bishop, and

85 This procedure would seem less desirable for the reason that the con-
secration of the antimensia imitates the consecration of the fixed altar, and in
the consecration of the latter, the altar is first anointed and then at a later part
of the ceremony the relics are anointed and placed under the altar. Cfr. Con-
secration et Inauguration d'une Eglise selon le Rituel de I'Eglise Russe, op. cit.,
pp. 9-13, 26-39 ; De Meester, op. cit., pp. 196-207 ; Hapgood, op. cit., pp.
499-508.

86 Goar, op. cit., p. 521, says concerning the anointing with Holy Myron
which is used to consecrate the antimensia : "Without which an altar is not
consecrated according to the Canon of the Councils, since the effusion of the most
holy Unguent makes it holy, as testifies Dionysius, De Eccl. Hierar., ch. 14."
"Sine quo iuxta Conciliorum Canones non consecratur Altare, quod Sanctissimi
Unguenti Sacra effusione, sanctum reddi testatur Dionysius de Eccl. Hierar.
cap. 14. Cfr. Dionysius, De Ecclesia Hiararchia, P.G. 3 : 484, 505 ; also Bliley,
op. cit., pp. 30-34 ; De Meester, op. cit., p. 177, and p. 178 where he says : "In
fact, within the sacred precincts of the church, the altar is everything. Through
the altar, says Symeon of Thessalonica, the temple is holy. Without the altar it
is not a temple (church) but only a prayer house (oratory)... Without the altar,
the temple is sanctified only by prayer, but it is not the Tabernacle of the glory
of God, it is not His dwelling place... it does not have by the grace inherent in it
the power to bring to God our prayers ; gifts may not be offered on an unconse-
crated table, nor upon it is it licit to change bread and wine into the Body and
Blood of Jesus Christ. This sanctifying power of the altar comes from the pre-
sence of the relics of the holy martyrs and from the consecration effected by
means of the Holy Myron." He goes on to say "Since these two elements (relics
and anointing with Myron) are found in the rite for the consecration of the anti-
mension, it participates in all the powers of the altar." "Difatti, nel sacro re-
cinto della chiesa l'altare e tutto. Per l'altare, dice Simeone di Salonicco, il
tempio e santo. Senza altare non c'e tempio, ma soltanto una casa di orazione,
7rpoaei>x>j<; (Jtovov oZxo<;. Senza altare il tempio e santificato soltanto dalla pre-
ghiera, ma non e il tabernacolo della gloria di Dio, non e la sua dimora xaxot-
xr)T7)ptov toutou (0eou), non ha per grazia sua inerente la virtu di portare a Dio le
nostre orazioni ; non si possono offrire i doni sopra una mensa non consacrata,
n6 h lecito cambiarvi il pane e il vino nel corpo e nel sangue di Gesu Cristo.
Questa virtu sanctificatrice dell'altare provienne dalla presenza delle reliquie dei
santi martiri e dalla consecrazione fatta con il sacro miro. Si sa che il Vescovo
versa il s. miro e sulle reliquie quando vienne chiusa la loro teca, e sulla mensa

2) the enclosure of the Relics therein. 87 Because of the Byzantine Mysti-
que 88 concerning the origin of the sanctification of the antimensia (and
other objects) it is fitting that they be placed on a consecrated fixed altar
to be consecrated, and that afterwards the Divine Liturgy be celebrated
on them, before they are distributed.

scholion :

D. Origin and Nature of the Hallowing of the Byzantine Antimension :

Apropos the origin and nature of the sanctification of the antimen-
sion, since this is a concept particular to the Byzantine mystique, and
almost unheard of in the West, 88a we think it expedient to quote at
length from an article by the late Archimandrite Placidus De Mee-
ster, o.s.b., entitled "Blessing and Consecration by Contact in Oriental
Canon Law and Rites" :

"In Oriental Canon Law (and here I speak especially of
Byzantine ecclesiastical law which generally reflects the spirit
or juridic mentality of Oriental Christians and which has exer-
cised a profound influence on the ecclesiastical discipline of all
the Orient), there are distinguished holy objects (haghia) from
sacred objects (hiera), sanctified or blessed objects (hegiasmena) from
consecrated objects (hierdmena, kathierdtheisa) . . .

When an object is holy and consecrated to God, it possesses
in itself a sanctifying power (hagiastike dynamis). It can com-
municate this power to other objects by contact, by their being pla-
ced together, hagiasmou metadotika (cfr. Symeon of Thessalonica,
P.G. 155 : 337) in such a way that these other objects in turn
are not only blessed in themselves but may also radiate the
sanctification which they possess...

dall'altare. Siccome questi due elementi si ritrovano nel rito della consecrazione
dell'antiminsio, questo participa di tutte le virtu dell'altare."

87 Idem. We have noted above, pp. 50 ff, that when an antimension is
not used as a portable altar, but is rather used as a corporal on a fixed conse-
crated altar, it may sometimes not be furnished with relics. Since it has under-
gone all the other ceremonies including the anointing with Holy Myron, it has
been validly consecrated, but cannot be used licitly as a portable altar unless
it is later furnished also with relics.

88 Cfr. below, pp. 78-79.

88a However, cfr. pre-Code disputes in Latin-Rite Canon Law regarding
the desecration of Churches that the Consecration of a Church adheres to its

Thus one reads in a canonical response 89 which is attributed
to John, Bishop of Kitros in Macedonia (XII-XIII century)
and addressed to Constantine Cabasilas, Metropolitan of Dyrra-
chium : When an altar is not consecrated, one must place on it
an antimension, which communicates its sanctifying power to
the altar and to the gifts (oblations) which are offered on
the altar.

Contact with an altar, then, is particularly indicated for
the blessing of objects.

It is above all on the occasion of the dedication of a church
that this practice is honored. As soon as the Sacred Chrism
has been poured upon the table of the altar, there are placed
upon it antimensia, ikons, liturgical vessels and instruments
(Proskomedia Lance, Communion Spoon, etc.), Chalice Veils and
all those things which are required for the Eucharistic Sacrifice.
„ It is not necessary to further bless these sacred furnishings. The
faithful anxiously wait for the distribution of the pieces of
linen and sponges which were used to wash and dry the altar :
they carry these home to apply to the sick and to preserve
their homes from all misfortune and from the snare of the
Demon. " 90

walls (and is lost by their destruction) while the simple Blessing of a Church
aheres to its floor ; vid. John Theophilus Gulczynski, The Desecration and
Violation of Churches, An Historical Synopsis and Commentary, Washington,
D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press, 1942, pp. 12-15,22-27,49-56.
et passim.

89 P.G. 119 : 976. For citation of this response, cfr. above, p. 69, n. 58.

90 Placidus De Meester", La benediction et la consecration par contact
dans le droit et les rites orientaux", Angelicum, vol. 20 (1943). PP- 254-260 :
"Dans le droit oriental — et je parle ici surtout du droit ecclesiatique de Byzance
qui reflete gen6ralement l'esprit ou la mentalite juridique des Chretiens orientaux
et qui a exerc6 une profonde influence sur la discipline ecclesiastique de tout
l'Orient — , on distingue entre objets saints, (aywc) et sacres (lepa), entre objets
sanctifies, benits (rjYiaa^va) et consacres (leptouiva, xa6iepco0et<Ta) . . . (p. 256)
"Quand un object est saint et consacre a Dieu, il possede en soi une vertu sanc-
tificatrice, ayiaaTtxT) Suvau-ig. Cette vertu, il peut la communiquer a d'autres
objets par attouchement, par rapprochement, dytaafxou u-eTaSoxixa (cfr. Sy-
meon of Thessalonica, p. 9. i55> 337). de teUe sorte <lu'k leur tour ces objects
non seulement sont benits en eux-memes, mais ils peuvent faire rayonner la
sanctification qu'ils possedent... Voici ce qu'on lit dans une response canonique
passee sous le nom de Jean, Eveque de Kitros en Macedoine (XII-XIII s.), et
adressee a Constantin Cabasilas, Metropolitan de Dyrrachium : Quand l'autel
n'est pas consacre, on doit y deposer un antiminsion. Celui-ci communique sa
vertu sanctificatrice a l'autel et aux dons (oblats) qui sont offerts a l'autel (p. 257),
Le contact de l'autel, en effet, est particulierement indique pour la benediction
des objets. C'est surtout le jour de la dedicace d'une eglise que cette pratique

III. Loss of Usefulness of the Antimension (Exsecration)

1. General notion. The term "Loss of Usefulness" is to be preferred
over the terms 'desecration" or "exsecration" (i.e. "loss of consecration")
because, according to the Byzantine mystique, the antimension does
not lose its consecration unless it has been totally destroyed. In this it
differs greatly from the Latin portable altar stone, which loses its
consecration if it suffers a notable fracture ("notable" either by reason
of the large size of the piece which is cracked off, or by reason of the
fact that is was one of the corners on which the altar stone was anointed
at its consecration) , or if the relatively thin stone slab covering the cavity
("sepulcher") in which the Relics are contained is seriously broken, or
if it is removed (except by a Bishop or his delegate for the purpose of
inspecting the Relics or repairing the cover), or if the Relics are remo-
ved. 91

2. Neither would it be germane to speak of the "violation of the
antimension" (the suspension of its consecration by certain criminal
acts) 92 because this likewise is inadmissable in the Byzantine Church,

est mise en honneur. A peine la s. chreme a-t-il ete repandu sur la table de
l'autel, on y depose antiminsia, icones, vases et instruments (lance, cuiller, etc.),
voiles, et tout ce qui regarde le sacrifice eucharistique. II n'est plus necessaire
de b6nir une autre fois tout cet appareil. Le peuple attend avec impatience qu'on
lui distribue des morceaux de linges et des eponges qui ont servi a laver et a
essuyer l'autel : il porte chez lui ces morceaux pour les appliquer sur les malades
et pour preserver le foyer domestique de tout malheur et des embuches du demon."

91 Cfr. CIC, can. 1200, par. 2, nn. 1-4. For a full discussion of the exse-
cration and violation of the Latin portable altar stone, cfr. Bliley, op. cit.,
pp. 96, 108-109 ; Hans Henny, Der Altar im Kanonischen Recht, Rome : Pon-
tificia Universitas Gregoriana 1940, pp. 89-96. We may remark here that the
relative fragility of the Latin portable altar stone and the consequent ease with
which it becomes exsecrated, coupled with its weight and bulkiness, renders it
less practical than the Latin and Byzantine forms of the antimension when used
for purposes of travelling (e.g. by military chaplains) and for this reason the use
of the antimension has become more and more popular. A further disadvantage
of the Latin altar stone is its thickness : unless there is a specially prepared re-
cess in the surface on which it is place, it can become a source of danger of tipping
over the chalice or ciborium if these are placed too near the edge of the stone
(which is sometimes quite small in area) hidden from view under the altar cloths.
Cfr. L. Buijs, Facilitates Religiosorum, Rome : Apud Aedes Pontificiae Univer-
sitatis Gregorianae, 1965, pp. 48-49. For exsecration and violation of the Latin
antimensium, cfr. below, pp. 204-205.

92 Cfr. John Theophilus Gulczynski, The Desecration and Violation of
Churches, Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press (Canon
Law Studies no. 159), 1942, pp. vii-ix.

for, according to a dictum in regard to antimension of St. Nicephorus the
Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople, to which we will shortly have
occasion to refer in more detail, "an object which has once been sanctified
cannot become impure." 93

3. However, while retaining its consecration, and not being subject
to any possible "violation", an antimension may be rendered by other
factors unfit to have the Divine Liturgy celebrated upon it, i.e. it may
lose its usefulness for certain reasons which we will next proceed to
examine.

4. The antimension is subject to the limitations of the material
from which it is made, in this case the inherent frailties of silk or liner,
cloth. Since it is folded for travelling and should be folded and
re-folded at each celebration of the Holy Mysteries, 94 with time
and use it is inevitable that it should become frayed and even torn,
especially along the lines where it has been folded ; common decency
and positive legislation forbid the further celebration on the antimension
which has reached this stage of deterioration. Furthermore, there is
always present the danger, particularly when, following the Byzantine
tradition, the Liturgy is celebrated directly upon the antimension (as on
a corporal), 95 that perforated or torn, it may allow particles of the Sacred
Eucharist to slip through the holes and be brushed off to the floor or be
otherwise lost. The worn antimension must be withdrawn from use.
Notably soiled antimensia and ones whose inscriptions have become ille-
gible have likewise lost their usefulness and should be withdrawn.

Archpriest Constantine Nikolskij, following the "Instructions" pu-
blished in the Moscow Sluzebnik (Missal) 96 , says in this regard :

"If the antimension is torn, perforated with holes, or so
soiled that the inscriptions written or printed upon it cannot
be read (just as one cannot read upon a piece of paper something

93 Cfr. below, p. 86. Be that as it may, the Byzantine ritual, perhaps due
to Latin influence, does provide a prayer for the reconciliation, although not the
reconsecration of a violated altar ; however, there is nothing specified as to a
"violated antimension" and it seems that the Byzantine mystique does not
conceive of such. Cfr. De Meester, op. ext., pp. 224-232 ; Kiwitz, op. cit.,
PP- 52-54-

94 Cfr. above, pp. 112 ff.

95 Cfr. above, pp. 112 ff.

96 CjiyjKeSHHK-b, Moscow : Russian Orthodox Synodal Press, 1901, fol. 232 b.

7 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

that has been erased or cancelled out), it may not under any
circumstances be used for celebration. He who dares to cele-
brate upon such an antimension is to be considered as one who
despises the Divine Mysteries, he sins mortally, and should
be punished by the Bishop with suspension and excommu-
nication." 97

Bulgakov warns that :

"Because of the importance of the Mystery (Sacrament)
of the Eucharist, the antimension must not be too old (worn),
nor perforated, nor soiled or discolored to the point where the
inscription on it cannot be read." 98

and repeats the penalties threatened by the "Instructions" in the official

SluZebnik :

"He who dares to celebrate on such an antimension is to be
considered as one who despises the Divine Mysteries, he sins
mortally, and should be punished by the Bishop with suspension
and excommunication." 99

Nicaev reports, concerning the legislation "Instructions for the Dean
of Parish Churches'" amongst the duties of the Dean :

"The Dean must see to it (in the churches of his deanery)
that the holy antimension has been signed by the Bishop who
consecrated it, and that is neither too old, nor perforated, nor
stained, nor discolored." 100

Petrovskij, when enumerating the conditions under which the anti-
mension must be changed, notes that this is done when it has become
exceedingly old or worn (obvetSanija star ago). 101

Although all the authorities just cited belong to the Russian Or-
thodox Church and therefore their jurisdiction extends only to their own
Communion, yet they should be considered as having great weight as
witnesses to the thought common to the whole Byzantine Rite ; and,
after all, they but give voice to what common sense and the reverence

97 Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 8, cfr. also his work Antimins, pp. 100-107.

98 Bulgakov, op. cit., pp. 709-710.

99 Ibidem.

100 CICO Fonti, serie II, fascicolo VII (1944), p. 292, n. 946. The 12th
edition of Nicaev's standard work Practical Handbook of Priestly Services (in
Russian) was published in 1915 at St. Petersburg (Leningrad).

101 oSBeraiaHHH CTaparo ; Petrovskij, op. cit., col. 808.

due to the Holy Eucharist would prescribe. In case of dire necessity,
however, the present author would admit that such an antimension,
observing fitting precautions (e.g. using a clean corporal on top of the
antimension), could be used to avoid violating the venerable ecclesiastical
tradition which requires that the Divine Liturgy be celebrated only upon
a duly consecrated altar. 102 But given the relative facility with which a
new antimension may be obtained, it would in general be preferred to
withdraw a worn or soiled antimension from use and replace it with a
new one.

5. Whether the antimension is new, or even if it is old and worn,
the canonical commentators tell us that it may not be sewn nor mended
after it has been once consecrated ; neither may it be cut into pieces to
provide ^riore antimensia.

Thus Father James Goar, o.p., following the Codex Allatianus and
other related Greek Mss. :

"Before their consecration, antimensia may be cut, sewn,
and washed : afterwards, nothing of the sort can be done to
them, and they may only be inscribed : The Holy Altar of
St. N.N., consecrated by Metropolitan N.N., in the month
N.N., in the year N.N.' If they have been consecrated in the
city of Constantinople, there is added 'during the reign of N.N.,
the most Holy and Ecumenical Patriarch'." 103

The 1927 Athenian Greek Orthodox edition of the Great Euvho-
logion contains the same prescriptions. 104 De Meester follows Goar. 105
Bulgakov states :

"It is not permitted to wash a stained antimension nor to
mend an old or torn antimension." 106

102 Cfr. Bliley, op. cit., pp. 3°~34. 75"77-

103 "Sciendum Antimensia, ante consecrationem scindenda, consuenda, et
lavanda esse : post earn siquidem, nil huiusmodi fit circa ilia, verum hoc tantum
pacto inscribuntur : 'Altare Sancti N., consecratum a Metropolita N., Mensae N.,
anni N.' Si vero in Urbe CP. haec celebrantur, additur : 'Tempore N. Sanctis-
simi et Oecumenici Patriarchae'." Goar, op. cit., p. 664. We will discuss the
washing of antimensia below, pp. 85 ff.

104 Cfr. ETXOAOriON TO META, Athens, 1927. P- 54 *■

105 De Meester, op. cit., p. 163.

106 Bulgakov, op. cit., p. 710.

The only exception to this rule would seem to be the sewing shut
of the small cloth bag containing the Holy Relics, after the consecration
of the antimension, because of the danger that the wax-mastic might in
time lose its adhesive qualities and allow the relics to fall out ; this is a
case of necessity and the respect due to the Holy Relics. Almost all the
antimensia which the author has seen in museums and churches had the
Relic pouch stitched shut.

As for the sewing of an eileton or lining to the reverse side of the
antimension after the consecration of the latter, it is a fairly recent in-
novation against the Byzantine tradition, and the present author does
not see any serious necessity which would admit this practice as an
exception. 107

In regard to the cutting up or tearing into pieces of antimension
to multiply antimensia, we have seen above 108 that, primitively, anti-
mensia were made from the linen cloths which had been used to wipe
up the Holy Water and Sacred Myron (Chrism) used at the consecration
of a fixed altar. These cloths were divided into pieces (presumably squares
or rectangles) and signed by the Bishop who had consecrated them and
the altar ; often other inscriptions were added. The wide use of anti-
mensia, especially in areas distant from the episcopal residence, created
a demand for antimensia which far exceeded the supply (since they were
consecrated only at the consecration of a fixed altar) ; eventually, con-
secrating antimensia outside of the occasion of the consecration of a fixed
altar was permitted out of necessity, but in the meantime, recourse was
had to the simple expedient of cutting into pieces already existing anti-
mensia. This, of course, entailed the partial or total destruction of the
inscriptions with which the original antimension had been furnished ;
further difficulties were had in regard to the Relics which had been sewn
to the original and which had either to remain attached to only one of
the new fractions, in which case the other pieces were used unlawfully
without Relics, or divided up into as many pieces as there were new frac-
tional antimensia — since the Relics had already been mixed with wax-
mastic, 109 which in itself contains solid particles of various shapes and
colors (incense, marble dust, etc.), it was difficult to distinguish the Relics
from the other ingredients. This abuse was finally forbidden by the
Byzantine Church, as we have seen in the citations immediately preceding.

107 Cfr. above, p. 37.

108 pp. 62-69 ff.

109 Cfr. above, pp. 66-67, 107-108 ; also 21-22, 52, 74-76.

In regard to other sources, the first printed Slavonic edition of the ce-
remony for the consecration of antimensia, 110 which was signed by the
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria, Paisios, by the Greek Orthodox
Patriarch of Antioch, Makarios, and by the Russian Orthodox Patriarch
of Moscow, Joasaph, at the Second Synod of Moscow, in the year 1667,
and hence binding upon their three respective Patriarchates, contains
strict prohibitions against the abuse of cutting up antimensia.

Earlier, however, Metropolitan Cyprian of Moscow writes to the
clergy of Pskov (a city in western Russia) sometime after the year 1395 :

"When 1 was in the great city of Novgorod, I consecrated
antimensia and I ordered the Bishop to send you some of these.
Now, however, I hear that the has been among you and gave
„ you some of these antimensia, but that he ordered you to divide
each antimension into four pieces ; in this he acted wrongly,
to his own perdition." 111

Although the practice of dividing up antimensia is to be condemned
because of the disrespect for Byzantine tradition which it entails, still
the pieces remain consecrated for only the complete destruction of the
antimension results in its loss of consecration.

6. We come now to a moot point (one already alluded to in some
of the citations just given) : may a soiled antimension be cleansed by
washing ? The first that we hear of this practical problem is in two ca-
nons concerning antimensia which are attributed by Cardinal John Bap-
tist Pitra 112 and the majority of commentators 113 to St. Nicephorus I

110 Huu-b ApxHepeftcKaro JJeiiCTBa BoecTBeHHMXb JiHTyprnft h OcBnmeHHH
AHTHMHHCOB-b h UepKBen. (Cin Arkhijereskago Djejstvo Bolestvjennikh Liturgij i
osvjaUjenija Antiminsov i Cerkve), Moscow, 1668.

111 CICO Fonti, serie II, fascicolo VII, p. 296, n. 954. Cfr. also I. D. Man-
svetov, MuTponoJiHT KmipHaH B ero JlHTyprucKOit AeflTejiHOCTH (Metroplit
Kiprian v jego liturgiskoj djejatelnosti), Moscow, 1885, p. 147.

112 J. B. Pitra, Juris Ecclesiastici Graecorum Historia et Monumenta iussu
Pii IX Pont. Max. (2 vols.), Rome : Typis S. Congregationis de Propaganda Fide,
1868, vol. II, pp. 314-317, 327> 329, 337-

113 Amanieu, op. cit., col. 587, and Raes, op. cit., p. 62, simply call them
"Canons of Nicephorus" and "attributed by Pitra to Nicephorus" respectively.
De Meester, op. cit., p. 163, notes that Pitra's canon 16 is canon number one of
Nicephorus the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople, in Rhallis and Potlis,
STNTArMA, t. IV, p. 427, and seems to point out canon 96 as from an unknown
source (though he cites Mansi, Conciliorum Amplissimo Collectio, t. XIV, col.
323, and Pitra, loc. cit. The Pedalion (Cummings), op. cit., p. 963, knows only

the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople (d. 828), 114 while Sophronius
Petrides opts for Nicephorus II, Patriarch of Constantinople (1260-1261)115
Although there may remain some doubt as to authorship If these canons,
there is no doubt as to their canonicity as they have been accepted into
all the official collections and they are quoted as having authority by
most of the canonical authors. 116 The two canons are as follows :

Canon 16. If through inadvertance an antimension is washed,
it is not profaned and keeps its consecration, because an object
which has been once sanctified, can never become impure. 117

canon 16 and numbers it as number one of the "Canons of Nicephorus the Con-
fessor among the Saints, taken from his ecclesiastical Syntaxes and those of the
Holy Fathers with him, thirty-seven in number, as translated into vernacular
Greek," adding the note "such is the title or heading of these canons as found
in certain manuscript books of the venerable monasteries of the Holy Mountain
(Mt. Athos)." However, as an historical source, the Pedalion is not very reliable.

114 St. Nicephorus ascended the Patriarchal Throne of Constantinople in
806 as the immediate successor of St. Tarasios ; because of his valiant opposition
to the Iconoclasts he was deposed in 815 and died in 829.

115 Petrides, first in his article in the April 1900 issue of Echos d'Orient
{op. cit.), pp. 195-196 questions the attribution of these canons to Nicephorus I,
showing that in other works (which he cites) these canons are said to originate
from St. John Chrysostom, from the Council of Chalcedon, or from St. Theodore
Studite. He feels that if these canons had already existed in the XII century,
they would certainly have been cited by John of Kitros ; Petrides opts for Pa-
triarch Nicephorus II (1260-1261) if we wish to keep the association the "Canons
of Nicephorus." In his later articles in DACL {op. cit.), col. 2320 and DTC {op.
cit.), col. 1390, he retains the same opinion. Lubeck, op. cit., p. 403 considers
Petrides as mistaken, and attributes the Canons, like Pitra to St. Nicephorus I.
Metropolitan Phillip Nabaa, op. cit., p. 291 follows Petrides. P. J. Alexander,
op. cit., p. 156, simply doubts their authorship.

116 Cfr. Cotelier, Ecclesia Graeca Monumenta, t. I, pp. 140 ff. ; Mansi,
Conciliorum Amplissima Collectio, t. XIV, col. 323 ; Mai, Bibliotheca Nova Pa-
trum, t. V, pars ultima, p. 14 ; P.G. 100 : 856 ; Pitra, Spicilegium Solesmense,
t. IV, pp. 385, 464 ; Pitra, Juris Ecclesiastici Graecum Historia et Monumenta,
t. I, p. 536, t. II, pp. 314-317, 327, 329, 337 ; cfr. also the collections and authors
cited in note 113 p. 85, and note 115, p. 86, and the proposed legislation for
the codification of cc. 1 154-1254 : S. Congregazione Orientale - Codificazione Ca-
nica Orientale, torn. VI, Prot. N. 223/33 (Rumeni, Mons. G. Balan), p. 7 ; Prot.
N. 228/33 (Russi, Mons. A. Sipiaghin), p. 6, also CICO Fontes.

117 For Greek and Latin versions, cfr. Pitra, Iuris Ecclesiastici Graecorum
Historia et Monumenta, t. II, p. 329, and cfr. above, note 116, p. 86, below,
pp. 275-276. For French, cfr. Petrides, E.O., p. 196 ; for German, cfr. Lubeck,
op. cit., pp. 403-404 ; for Arabic, cfr. Nabaa, op. cit., p. 292.

Canon 96. If an antimension or other sacred cloth is washed
in a private place, no sin is committed ; if it is washed in a
public place where there are passers-by, it is a sin. 118

We are confronted with at least an apparent discrepancy between
canon 16 and canon 96. Canon 16 seems to point to the washing of the
antimension as an undesirable action since it resolves the doubt as to
whether or not such an antimension can still be considered as conse-
crated ; 119 furthermore, it considers the case of an antimension being
washed through inadvertence (xgctoc ayvoiav) as if no one would knowingly
transgress ecclesiastical tradition in this manner. In canon 96, however,
the washing of the antimension becomes an accepted fact and the point
at issue seems to be the place (private or public) where it is washed and
the molality involved.

The commentators seem much divided as to the interpretation of
these two canons : 1) The washing of antimensia is categorically forbidden
by : The Order for the Consecration of Antimensia and Altars by a Bishop
published in Moscow in the year 1668 120 ; by Ferrari ; and by Bulgakov.
Thus Protopope Ferrari, speaking of the antimension, the antimension
sponge, 121 the eileton, etc. says :

"These are all objects which among us it is also forbidden to
wash. After they have been used for some time, they are burned
and the ashes are thrown into the special sacrarium (sink)
which lies under the altar and is called the ©aXaaatSiov 122
because in the Great Church 123 of Constantinople itislet out into
the waves of the sea (Bosphorus)." 124

118 Ibidem.

119 Or to use more exact Byzantine terminology, whether or not the anti-
mension has lost its "sactification" (Greek xaGiepcoau; ; Slavonic ocBHiueHHe),
which is considered as a manifestation of the Divine Power present or "dwelling"
in the sanctified object, in this case, the antimension. Cfr. Ernst Bexz, The
Eastern Orthodox Church, It's Thought and Life, Garden City, New York : Anchor
Books (Doubleday & Co., Inc.), 1963, PP- 5-6, 10-12 ; Vladimir Lossky, The
Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, London : James Clarke & Co. Ltd.,

r957> PP- 189-194-

120 Cin... Osvjalcenija Antiminsov i Cerkvei : cfr. above, p. 85, note no.

121 Cfr. below, p. 112.

122 Thalassidion ; referring to the "sea" (Gk. OaXaaaa) Thalassa. Cfr. D. Pal-
las, "H OoXaoaa xwv 'ExxXTjaiwv, Contribution a I' histoire de V autel chrdtien et a la
morphologie de la liturgie, Athens ; Institut Francais d'Athenes, 1952, passim ;
Salaville, op. cit., p. 112.

123 I.e. Haghia Sophia.

124 Ferrari, op. cit., p. 106 : "Tutti oggetti che e proibito, da noi, perfino

We will quote at length from the original Russian of Archpriest
Bulgakov because this passage contains some interesting particulars :

"If the Sacred Mysteries (in this case the Precious Blood)
are spilled upon the antimension, this must be presented to the
Bishop. Acording to the usage introduced into the diocese of
Moscow by the Metropolitan (of Moscow) Philaret (1619-1634),
the antimensia upon which has been spilled the Holy Blood,
even only a drop, are withdrawn from use and new ones are
substituted for them. (Those who are guilty of this negligence
(i.e. those who spilled the Precious Blood), are sent to a mo-
nastery to do penance (epitimia) for a more or less long period
of time (according to the circumstances), and they are forbidden
to celebrate (while doing penance for their offence). According
to rule 158 of the Nomocanon, the maximum sentence is for six
months. Judging from what is required in the Nomocanon, i.e.
when the Precious Blood has been spilled even through inadver-
tance, the guilty Priest must with repentance report immediately
to the Bishop, and may not recommence to celebrate the Li-
turgy without his permission. It should be considered that even in
the case where simple wine (i.e. before the Consecration) is spilled
upon the antimension, the Priest must act in the same manner. In
regard to the washing or licking (with the tongue) of an anti-
mension on which has been spilled some of the Divine Blood,
this must also be reprobated ; for according to the explanation
of the Metropolitan Philaret, to one offence against the sacred
antimension should not be added another." 125

These rules may seem excessively harsh, especially in the case
where an unavoidable accident has occurred, but the idea of how great
respect must be shown to the antimension is clear ; from the considera-
tion of the case where unconsecrated wine is spilled upon the antimension,
we see that these regulations do not only inculcate great respect for the
Divine Mysteries, but also for the antimension itself, which is so intimately
connected with them.

Fr George Maloney in his article on the Byzantine Rite in the
New Catholic Encyclopedia briefly notes : "Only a bishop can consecrate
an antimension, which is never washed but, when soiled, burned."1*6

lavare. Dopo averli usati per qualche tempo, essi si bruciano e le ceneri si get-
tano nel Sacraria Eucaristico, che giace sotto l'Altare, e si chiama 0aXaoat8iov,
perch6 nella Grande Chiesa di Costantinopoli era a contatto con le onde del mare."
125 Bulgakov, op. ext., p. 720.

128 George A. Maloney, "Byzantine Rite", New Catholic Encyclopedia,

2) Allowing the washing of the antimension are only one text of the
Pedalion (contradicted by another text in the same work), and for very
special circumstances, the Moscow Sluzebnik of 1901. The Pedalion in
a footnote to Canon one (i.e. canon 16 in Pitra, above cited) of St. Ni-
cephorus the Confessor has the following statement :

"Simeon of Thessalonica (Reply 81) also says that it is a
God-beloved thing for one to wash a holy cup (chalice), sponge,
etc. since this bears reference to the honour and embellishment
due to divine vessels. Hence I reason that even if one witting! y
washes off a holy antimension when it happens to get sufficiently
dirty, he cannot be condemned for doing so." 127

but in the same collection, in a footnote to canon 73 of the Apostolic
Canons -(the gist of which is that liturgical objects may no longer be used
for ordinary or "profane" purposes once they have been sanctified;,
we find :

"For according to Canon 1 of Nicephorus, if the antimension
that is washed by mistake does not lose its sanctity nor is pro-
faned, much less are the other vestments profaned when they
are washed. From the expression 'by mistake' used Nicephorus,
it appears that the antimension ought not to be washed in
general, nor the covers of the holy chalices. But if these or any
of all the other sacramental garments and chasubles be com-
pletely spoiled, some authorities recommend that they be burned
up in fire (which is best), or be thrown to the bottom of the sea,
or be disposed of under untrodden ground." 128

The "Instructions" appended to the end of the official 1901 Edition
of the Russian Orthodox Sluzebnik contemplate a specific case : What to
do if some of the Precious Blood (consecrated Eucharistic Wine) is spilled
upon the Inditija (outer altar covering) 129 or upon the antimension :

"If some of the Divine Blood falls on the Inditija, or upon
the antimension, the Priest must lick this up with his tongue,
and then wipe the place with the antimentions sponge. After
Liturgy, the same Priest must place a chalice or the teplota

vol. II, p. 1009. Fr. Maloney does not give any references for his statement, but
he is an expert on the Byzantine Rite.

127 Pedalion (Cummings), op. cit., p. 963-

128 Pedalion (Cummings), op. cit., p. 132. Though leaving much to be
desired in the way of syntax and style, Cumming's English translation is very
useful.

129 Cfr. below, p. in.

9°

vessel 130 under the place on the Inditija where the Divine
Blood fell, and then wash the spot with clear water, which is
then emptied into a running steam or in a hole dug underneath
the altar. " 131

As we have seen above, 132 Archpriest Bulgakov is directly opposed
to this procedure and quotes Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow (1619-
1634) to back up his opinion.

Father Raes thinks that primitive antimensia were not furnished
with Relics and could be washed, giving the canons of St. Nicephorus as
his reference ; 133 I canot agree with this eminent author because it seems

130 The teplota vessel is a metal cup with a handle used by the Russian
Rite clergy and laity from which to drink a few sips of wine mixed with warm
water as a sort of ablution after Holy Communion ; it is also used to add a little
boiling water to the Precious Blood before the Communion in the Divine Li-
turgy as a symbol of the fervor produced by the Holy Spirit. Cfr. Hapgood,
op. ext., pp. xxxii, 115, 119, 143, 600. Goar, op. cit., pp. 65, 127-128.

131 Slulebnik, Moscow : Russian Orthodox Synodal Press, 1901, fol. 238a.
It seems to me that, especially since it is mentioned in a parenthetical phrase,
and since later in the same passage only the Inditja is mentioned, that the re-
ference to the antimension was mentioned as a rather careless aftethought,
without sufficient advertance to the canonical tradition involved. In fact, the
whole passage bears a striking resemblance to the section 'De Defectibus in
Celebratione Missarum Occurentibus, X - De defectibus in ministerio ipso oc-
curentibus, n. 12' of the Missale Romanum : "If through negligence some of the
Blood of Christ falls either upon the ground or upon the altar, it is to be licked
up with the tongue and the place scraped, the scrapings being burned and the
ashes thrown into the sacrarium. ...If (the Precious Blood has fallen) upon the
altar cloth, ...the cloth is to be washed three times, a chalice being placed under
the spot where the drops fell, and the water is to be emptied (from the chalice)
into the sacrarium." Perhaps this is a case (not unheard of) of a latinism creeping
into the Russian Rite and obfuscating the original Byzantine tradition which
eschews the washing of antimensia and to which Bulgakov is a witness. These
rubrics of the Missale Romanum have recently been changed (1965), but at the
time that the Slulebnik in question was printed (1901), they were still in force
and printed in the Missal. For the new Latin rubric, cfr. Ordo Missae Ritus Ser-
vandus in Celebratione Missae et De Defectibus in Celebratione Missae Occurren-
tibus, Editio Typica, Rome : Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1965, "De Defectibus",
X, n. 42, p. 66 : "If any of the Blood of Christ be spilled, even the smallest drop,
it is sufficient to pour a little water on to it and to wipe is afterwards with a pu-
rificator, if it has fallen on the corporal or altar cloths or other place, it is to be
washed in the most fitting manner possible, and the water is to be emptied after-
wards into the sacrarium."

132 p. 88.

133 Raes, op. cit., pp. 61-62 : "These antimensia are still without relics

that the first antimensia were provided with Relics 134 and only a much
later practice allowed of antimensia without Relics, which however were
to be used merely as corporals on consecrated fixed altars. 136 Amanieu, 18
De Meester, 137 Lubeck, 138 and Nabaa', 139 either content themselves
with repeating or paraphrasing the two canons or give somewhat am-
biguous explanations.

and can be washed (cfr. canons 16 and 96 attributed to Patriarch Nicophorus
in Pitra)." "Ces Antimensia sont encore sans reliques et peuvent etre lavt's
(cfr. les canons 16 et 96 attribu6s au patriarche Nicephore dans Pitra, etc.). "

134 See above, pp. 48 ff .

135 See below, pp. noff.

136 Amanieu, op. cii., col. 587 : "The Greek Church has never ceased to
demand respect for the antimension, as witness the prohibition of washing this
cloth in the presence of the faithful (or laics) : cfr. Canons of Nicephorus, can. [,
P.G. 100 : 856. "L'Eglise grecque n'a jamais cesse d'exiger le respect de L'an-
timense, temoin la defense de laver ce linge devant les fideles ; cf. Canons de
Nicephore, can. I, P.G., t. C, col. 856."

137 De Meester, op. cit., p. 163 : "After having been consecrated, the
antimins cannot be afterwards sewn, nor cut up, nor washed. If an antimension
has been washed through ignorance, it does not lose its consecration, nor should
it be considered as profaned (PeffyXov). He does not sin who washes it in a pri-
vate place ; but he does sin who washes it in a public place (Can. I of Nicephorus
the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople, STNTArMA, t. IV, p. 427. Canons
from unknown sources, Mansi, t. XIV, col. 323. In a redaction reported by
Pitra, t. I, p. 336, necessity is mentioned : 'Edtv yev^Tai */peta -Xu07}vai Svnjilv-
aiov)" - "Dopo essere stati consacrati, gli antiminsi non possono piu essere
cuciti, ne tagliati, 116 lavati. Se un antiminsio e stato lavato per ignoranza, non
perde la sua consecrazione, ne deve essere considerato come profanato (fJe^Xov).
Non pecca chi lo lavasse in luogo appartato ; ma pecca chi lo lavasse in luoghi
pubblici. (Can. i° di Niceforo il Confessore, Patriarca di Cpoli... Canoni di fonte
ignota sopra citati, Mansi, t. XIV, col. 323. In una redazione riportata dal Pitra
(Iuris Eccl. Graec. Hist, et Mon., t. I, p. 336), si parla di necessita : Eav yivrftm
ypela 7rXu6rjvai avTifiivaiov.

138 Lubeck, op. cit., p. 404, footnote : "we wish to note here the small
contradiction which exists between canon 16 and canon 96, with regard to the
washing of antimensia. The two canons do not seem to come from the same
hand." - "Auf den kleinen Widerspruch ewischen can. 16 und 96 hinsichtlich
des Waschens der Antimensien sei hier nur kurz hingeweisen. Die beiden Ka-
nones scheinen nicht aus einer Hand zu sein." Unfortunately, Dr. Lubeck does
not specify exactly this small contradiction nor does he attempt to resolve it :
otherwise, he only translates the canons.

139 Nabaa', op. cit., p. 292. Metropolitan Phillip Nabaa' merely translates
the canons, but has an interesting footnote to Canon 96 : "The essence of this
canon is the act of emptying out the water in which the antimension was washed
in a hidden or in a publicly frequented place."

3) Might the solution be that the two canons reflect the practice
of two different locales or epochs ? 140 Or do they approach the same
problem from two different points of view, the one strictly juridical, the
other moral ? I incline to the latter view, believing that the two canons
may be harmonized as follows : canon 16 speaks of the washing of anti-
mensia from an objective point of view and implies that although an
antimension should not be washed, if this operation has nevertheless
been performed, the antimension has neither been profaned nor exse-
crated (lost its consecration) and may still be used for the celebration
of the Divine Mysteries (unless otherwise damaged). Canon 96, on the
other hand, does not treat of the antimension as such but considers the
human problem involved, the morality attached to the action of washing
it : does he who has transgressed the juridical prescription against the
washing of the antimension incur moral guilt ? The canon specifies that
one who (knowingly) transgresses the eccleisastical tradition against
washing antimensia sins (seriously) if he shows such disrespect as to wash
one in an unbecoming place 141 but does not sin (seriously) if he washes
it in a decent place. 142

Or we may say that although antimensia are not to be washed,
canon 16 treats of the case where one has been washed inadvertently,
and canon 96 treats of the case where this has been done knowingly.

Analyzing canon 16, we may say that its most important part is the
formal enunciation of the Byzantine canonical and liturgical principle
that an object once sanctified (blessed or consecrated) can never become

140 As suggested by Lubeck, loc. cit., cfr. above, p. 91, note 138.

141 h t67to> ev & TOXTsiTai : "frequented by passerbys, public", e.g. in
the public fountains and washing places. Washing an antimension there before
the eyes of all would be tantamount to great disrespect for this sacred cloth and
for the Eucharist (particles of which may still adhere to the antimension) and
would cause scandal to the passers-by.

142 I.e. the sacristy (diakonikon - Cfr. Richard Krautheimer, Early
Christian and Byzantine Architecture, The Pelican History of Art, Baltimore,
Maryland : Penguin Books, 1967, pp. 68, 360, also 77, 89, 92, no, 210-212,
326.) or Sacrarium (cfr. above, p. 87), and Mario Righetti, Storia Liturgica,
4 vols., 3rd. ed., Milan : Editrice Ancora, 1964, Vol. I, pp. 480-481). Cfr. Fer-
rari, loc. cit. It is interesting to note that CICO Fonti, serie I, vol. IX : Disci-
plina Generate An [sec. II-IX) carries on pp. 7-8, as numbers 14-17 the canons
of St. Nicephorus, taken from Pitra, loc. cit., but omits canon 96 ; in his general
preface to this volume, Amleto Card. Cicognani (writing in 1933) says that ca-
nons which were not disciplinary (e.g. those having merely moral or rubrical
value) were omitted.

impure nor lose its sanctification (unless, naturally, the object is completely
destroyed). Thus the antimension that has been washed (or, as we have
seen previously, cut into pieces) still retains its consecration. However,
since inadvertance is mentioned, it seems certain that canon 16 considers
the washing of an antimension as undesirable.

Canon 96, on the other hand, may seem to take a more lenient view,
tolerating the washing of an antimension in private but not in public ;
the washing now becomes an accepted (or tolerated) fact, and the place
where it is washed determines the morality of this action. However,
in practice, as we have seen, the stricter point of view of canon 16 has
become the accepted rule for action and from the texts quoted above, it
is obvious that the washing of the antimension is excluded at least by
custom,^ and "Custom is the best interpreter of the law." 142a

Why shoul dthe Byzantines be so reluctant to wash a soiled anti-
mension ? The most important consideration stems from the Byzantine
mystique which considers these objects too sacred to be washed : 143 of
course a practical consideration, especially before the modern widespread
use of fast colors, 144 is that the design and the inscriptions, and especially
the date of consecration including the Bishop's signature, might become
obliterated. 145 Also, the remains of the Sacred Myron (Chrism) with
which the antimension had been anointed and any fragments of the
Eucharist adhering to the antimension would be washed away and sub-
ject to possible profanation : the particles of Relics in the small sack
fastened to the antimension 146 might be destroyed, washed away, or
at least loosened.

142a Cfr. CIC, can. 29 : "Consuetude- est optima legum interpres.", and its
footnotes.

143 Ferrari, loc. cit.

144 Even the colors used by the Vatican Press, Rome, for printing the
Russian Antimensia in January of 1967, tend to smudge when the cloth is
washed, as I ascertained by experimenting with an unconsecrated antimension.

145 Permanent ink, such as is used for marking laundry, was practically
unknown or at least not in general use until very recent times. Most antimensia
probably had the date of consecration and the Bishop's signature written with
inks which would easily wash out in water. An antimension whose inscriptions
are no longer legible must be retired from use, as we saw above, p. 80 ff.

146 Today this small pouch is almost always sewn to the antimension be-
fore its consecration ; in former days, however, as is evident by the rubrics still
carried in some of the liturgical books, it was fastened to the antimension only
with wax-mastic. Cfr. Braun, op. cit., I, pp. 649-650 ; De Meester, The Great

Summing up, then, we may say that the preponderance of texts
and commentaries (as well as practical consideration) give the definite
impression that the washing of antimensia is something repugnant to the
Byzantine Church. 147 The simple fact of the washing of an antimension
does not, however, cause it to lose its usefulness ; if the inscription or the
Relics have been seriously damaged in the process, it will, of course, have
lost its usefulness and must be withdrawn from use. This traditional
discipline has been suggested by Mons. G. Balan 148 and Mons. A. Si-
piaghin 149 for the projected codification of the section "De Rebus" of
Oriental Canon Law.

7. At this point, it would be well to take cognizance of certain
circumstances under which a new "immoveable" antimension is pre-
scribed for a consecrated fixed altar 150 :

Euchologion (Melkite, in Arabic), op. ext., p. 209b, op. cit., pp. 236-239, even if
the pocket was not sewn to the antimension, after the relics were inserted it was
often closed only with wax-mastic, cfr. Cinovnik (Sluiebnik), Lvov, 1886, p. 101;
Cinovnik, Jordanville, 1964, p. 144b ; EYXOAOITON TO MErA, Rome, 1873,
p. 212; Hapgood, op. cit., p. 508; Maltzew, op. cit., pp. 139-140; Nikolskij,
Ustav, pp. 811, 815 ; Petrides, EO, p. 202 ; Rajewsky, op. cit., p. 192, etc.

147 We have cited Greek, Russian, Melkite, and Rumanian sources, besides
noted commentators, and thus we feel justified in predicating this tradition for
the whole Byzantine Church.

148 5. Congregazione Orientale, Codificazione Canonica Orientale, t. VI,
cc. 1012-1153, 1154-1254, Prot. N. 223/33 "Rumeni", p. 7, can. 1200.

149 5. Congregazione Orientale, Codificazione Canonica Orientale, t. VI,
cc. 1012-1153, 1154-1254, Prot. N. 228/33 "Russi", p. 6, can. 1198 : "Russian
antimensions... when old and worn out, must be burned, never mended nor
washed, even though if they have been cleansed through inadvertance they do
not lose their 'sanctification' (vid. Milas, II, p. 574)." "Gli antiminsi russi erano
stampati soltanto nella tipografia sinodale, secondo l'ucase del 16 gennaio, 1862 ;
logori e usati, essi dovevano essere bruciati, mai riparati o lavati, bench6 puliti
senza avvedersene, non perdevano la loro 'santificazione' (v. Milas, II, p. 574)."

150 Cfr. Petrovskij, op. cit., col. 808 : Nikolskij, Antimins, pp. 61, 81-100.
Bulgakov, op. cit., p. 710, notes that there is no special ceremony connected
with the replacing of an old (immovable) antimension with a new one : "When
he has received a new antimension, the Priest carries it without delay into the
church, opens the eileton on the altar, puts the antimension sponge on the new
antimension, and folds the antimension and eileton in the customary fashion,
placing upon it the Altar Gospel-Book (Evangelary). Some Priests, confusing
the simple placing of a new antimension in the church with the consecration
itself of the church by the means of an antimension carry out on this occasion
(reception of new antimension) some of the ceremonies proper to the consecra-

1) At the consecration of a new church (and altar) ; 151

2) After the renovation of an already consecrated church if it is
now to be consecrated in honor of different Mystery or Saint than its
previous titular ; 152

3) At the consecration of a new altar in an already consecrated
church ; 153

4) At the reconciliation of a desecrated church ; 154

5) When the previous antimension has lost its usefulness by be-
coming too old, frayed, stained, etc. ;

6) There are certain cases on record in which a Bishop taking pos-
session of his eparchy (diocese) has consecrated new antimensia to replace
those consecrated by his predecessors(s). 155

8. "Another way that the antimension may lose its usefulness 156 is
the loss of the Relics from the small pouch in which they are fixed (usually
sewn) to the reverse side of the antimension, or if this pouch becomes

tion of a church ; but for such a custom there exist neither rubrics, nor decrees,
nor ecclesiastically determined ceremonies. The celebration of the Liturgy
immediately after the deposition of a new antimension (on the altar) is not
obligatory."

151 Or of a "parecclesia" ; since tradition forbids the Byzantines to cele-
brate more than once a day on the same altar, they often construct within the
church small chapels which are not mere "side-altars" but complete little chur-
ches in themselves, each furnished with altar, prothesis, iconostasis, etc. Cfr.
Attwater, A Catholic Dictionary, op. cit., p. 367 ; Goar, op. cit., p. 13 ; Sala-
ville, Introduction, op. cit., p. 114.

152 Atky Istoriceskije, op. cit., II, p. 136, n. 106 : Istoria Rossijskoj Erarchij,
Moscow, 1812, IV, p. 292 (Letter of Patriarch Philaret to the Hegumenos Se-
rapion, in 1620).

153 If the altar has to be replaced or if a new altar, e.g. of silver or gold,
has been given as a votive gift to replace to old altar, or the same in a parecclesia.

154 For this concept, cfr. Kiwitz, op. cit., pp. 5I~54» 57-

155 Akty Istoriceskije, op. cit., I, p. 92, n. 48. P.E. op. cit., no. 2, p. 76.
Fr. Amman gives us the curious note that under the influence of the Greek
Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch Makarios, the famous liturgical reformer Nikon,
Metropolitan of Moscow, decided to change the antimensia in all Russian Chur-
ches in 1655 and for this purpose 15,000 antimensia were consecrated and sent
out even to the most remote villages to the consternation of clergy and people.
Cfr. A. M. Amman, Storia delta Chiesa Russa e dei Paesi litnitrofi, Turin : Unione
Tipografico-Editrice Torinese, 1948, p. 236. Fr. Amman does not give Nikon's
motives.

156 I.e. as a portable altar.

so torn as to make the loss of the Relics imminent ; here we must make a
distinction : since the loss of Relics does not entail the loss of consecra-
tion, the antimension may still be used as a type of corporal (if it is
otherwise still in good condition) on a consecrated fixed altar. To be
used once more as a portable altar, it must have Relics attached to it
again or the Relic pouch repaired in such a way as to preclude danger of
the loss of the sacred Relics. 157

9. What is to be done with the old antimensia which have been
withdrawn from service ? In this regard we may distinguish two tra-
ditions : 1) the antimensia are conserved in a becoming place ; or 2) the
antimensia are burned and the ashes carefully disposed of.

The first tradition is drawn predominantly from Russian sources.158
In ancient christian Russian, the old antimensia which had been with-
drawn from use were left on the altar, spread out under the altar cloths
or placed in a (hollow) Cross behind the altar, or in a special column or
box to the right of the altar. Thus P.E. (sic), in his article on "Russian
Antimensia" in the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate (in Russian),
reports :

"There existed a custom of placing the old antimensia in a
column at the right side of the altar or in a cross in the center
or in a box. Only later the usage was introduced of sending
the old antimensia to the sacristy of the Bishop or of the Ca-
thedral. Thus, for example, in the 'Report on the diocese of
Vladimir' of 1867, we read : 'The consistory of Vladimir, in
obedience to the resolution of your Excellency, orders the
Priest-Sacristans to present to your Excellency the old anti-
mensia, each wrapped not in a paper but in its proper eileton
and carried in a becoming box to Vladimir'." 169

157 As we pointed out above on pp. 50 ff, the presence or absence of relics
has no effect on the validity of the consecration of the antimension ; however, it
cannot be used lawfully as a portable altar if it has never had relics or if these
have been lost.

158 I.e. written sources ; also, from observation, it may be seen that many
antimensia are preserved in Russia. However, as we will have occasian to remark
below, the other branches of the Byzantine Rite know something of this usage
as can be seen from the antimensia preserved in the museums of Athens (Benaki,
Byzantine), Belgrade (Patriarchal museum), Grottaf errata (Italo-Greek mo-
nastery of St. Nilus), etc.

159 P.E. op. ext., no. 2, p. 76; cfr. also Nikolskij, Antimins, pp. 105-

107.

and Petrovskij adds :

« When a new antimension was placed on the altar, the old
one was not taken away but left on the altar underneath the
bottom altar cloth (katasarkion, sracica), as is witnessed by the
many antimensia found in some churches (e.g. in the Monastery
of Orscina, Tver, and in a church of Novgorod, 12 antimensia) ;
and from the briefs which accompanied the newly consecrated
antimensia and which prescribed that the old ones were to
be kept on the altar, under the new antimension (brief-gramota
of 1590), or else at the right side of the altar in a column (gra-
mota of Paul, Metropolitan of Kaluga, 1675), or else in a Cross
in the center (gramota of Jona, Metropolitan of Rostov and
Jaroslav, 1686). In the Ritual (Trebnik) of Patriarch Joseph
there is found a ceremony for the retiring of an old antimension.
. From the XVIII century (Ukaz of 1735) the antimensia are
sent to the sacristy of the Cathedral or to the Bishop's personal
church. At present, there is a precise register of all the anti-
mensia kept there (Ukaz of Holy Synod, 1842)." 160

With the Liturgical reform of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow (1652-
1658, d. 1681) 161 the present practice of the Russian Orthodox Church
came into use : the antimension, wrapped in its eileton 162 is presented to
the Bishop who sees to it that it is kept in a special place in his private
chapel or in the sacristy of the Cathedral (Sobor). In 1842 the Holy

160 Petrovskij, op. cit., col. 808.

161 Cfr. Kiwitz, op. cit., pp. 36-37 ; Nikon's reform caused a schism in the
Russian Orthodox Church because a certain group called now the "Old Belie-
vers" (Starovjeri) refused to accept his reforms ; this schism endures to this day,
(although some have returned to communion with the Russian Orthodox Pa-
triarchate of Moscow) and the "Old Believers" preserve the ancient custom of
keeping the old antimensia in the particular church where it had been used, as
described above, instead of sending them to the Bishop. Cfr. Nikolskij, loc.
cit. ; Solovey, op. cit., pp. 60, 61, 63-64, 75, 78, 79, 82 ; Adrian Fortescue,
The Uniate Eastern Churches {The Byzantine Rite in Italy, Sicily, Syria and
Egypt), New York : Frederick Ungar Pyblishing Co., 1923, p. 156, gives the
interesting information that Nikon was aided in his revision of the Russian
Service Books (which were supposed to be made more conformable to the con-
temporary Greek usage) by a certain Paisios (Panteleon) Ligerides, a brilliant
alumnus of the Greek College in Rome who passed from the Roman Catholic
Faith to Orthodoxy, becoming the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Gaza, Pa-
lestine. He died in 1678 rejected by both Catholics and Orthodox. Thus the
present usage in the Russian Orthodox Church may have been much influenced
by a (former) Catholic and Roman student.

162 Cfr. Bulgakov, op. cit., p. 710 ; Nikolskij, loc. cit. ; P.E. loc. cit.

8 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

Synod of Moscow issued an Ukaz (decree) stipulating that each church
under its jurisdiction must have a precise register containing all the
data pertinent to the antimensia belonging to that particular church. 163
Bulgakov gives minute details as to the method of carrying the old an-
timensia to the Bishop :

"It is not permitted to wash a stained antimension nor to
mend an old or torn one ; but in this case, without delay, the
Priest (having put on the stole and epimankika-cuffs) 164 pre-
sents the old antimension, wrapped in its eileton and placed in
a becoming container, to the Bishop, asking for a new one. If
the Pastor, because of some plausible reason, cannot go in
person to receive the new antimension, he may charge the Priest-
sacristan or other Priests, and in exceptional cases even a Dea-
con, to do this for him ; in the written request for the anti-
mension the person to whom it is to be given to carry must be
specified by name ; receiving the new antimension, the Priest
pays the established offering for it. In certain deaneries, special
boxes are made for the transporting of antimensia, lined inside
with silk and velvet, with a Cross on the outside cover and
with special locks ; they are made in such a way that the boxes
may be conveniently carried attached to the breast with rib-
bons. In the diocese of Cernigov (N.E. Ukraine) the Priest-
sacristans have the obligation of making two or three containers
for carrying antimensia (depending on the number of churches
in the deanery) ; these containers are cardboard boxes, in the
form of a book, covered with silk or cotton upon which has
been embroidered a Cross ; they must carry the old antimensia
wrapped in their eiletons to the Bishop in these boxes. The
containers must be carried during the voyage tied with ribbons
or cords upon the breast, underneath the overcoat, and during
overnight stop-overs and during meals they must be placed
in the house 165 under the ikons." 166

163 Petrovskij, loc. cit. ; Shipman, op. ext., p. 564.

164 Epimanika (Slavonic : poruci), part of the Byzantine Rite liturgical
vestments worn by Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, are ornamental cuffs. Cfr.
Hapgood, op. cit., p. xxxviii. They have the practical purpose of retaining the
loose ends of the sleeves of the under-vestment (sticharion-"alb," or pod-
riznik) and are thought to be vestiges of the Imperial gloves granted as an honor
to Church dignitaries by the Byzantine Emperor.

165 "jn the house under the ikons" refers to the Byzantine custom of
having in private homes and even public buildings ikons (sacred images), often
with hanging lamps before them and a lectern (analogion) for prayerbooks, or
the Holy Gospels, in the east corner of the room, the so-called "Ikon-corner"
or "Beautiful Corner".

166 Bulgakov, op. cit., p. 710.

Judging from many antimensia which I have seen in museums and
churches 167 in the U.S.S.R., the relics were sometimes removed from the
old antimensia (to be used for the consecration of new ones) ; the traces
of where the relics were formerly attached to the antimensia can clearly
be seen. Some antimensia are exposed for view in museums, 188 and they
can be very important historical documents because through them we
can learn when a particular Bishop was in a certain place and at what time.

Thus Papas Matteo Sciambri in his work Historical Investigations
Concerning the Greek- Albanian Community of Palermo {in Italian), traces
the history of a certain Don Gabrieli, Archbishop of Macedonia (1610-
1614) :

"Following our Don Gabrieli in his wanderings among the
Byzantine Rite community in Sicily, it seems that he went to
Palazzo Adriano (a town 17 kilometers south-east of Piana
degli Albanese in western Sicily) also. The testimony this time
is found on an antimension... consecrated by our Don Gabrieli,
as is apparent from the liturgical inscription which the Bishop
commonly writes on it as a guaranteee of its authenticity...
unfortunately the text lacks a date, but it is known that Ga-
brieli lived in the first half of the XVII century ; in 161 3 he
was Exarch of the Patriarch of Constantinople. The picture on
this antimension places it around this time ; a little later the
picture used begins to be less archaic." 169

Professor Svetozar Steven Dusancid, Curator of the Serbian Or-
thodox Patriarchal Museum, in his article "The Antimension as an Object
of Science" (in Serbian) 170 explains how examination of antimensia in
regard to their material and to the ornamentation and inscriptions on
them may reveal important information regarding the history of : 1) the
frontiers of eparchies (dioceses) and place-names ; 2) Ecclesiastical art ;

167 Moscow, Zagorsk, Leningrad, Kiev, Odessa.

168 Of course, in this case due reverence must be observed : there should
be an indication explaining what an antimension is and giving the pertinent
details concerning the particular one(s) on view, and of course they must be
preserved from dust, insects and from being touched. Unfortunately I have
seen antimensia barely hanging from rusty tacks or nails, covered with dust
and fly-specks.

169 Matteo Sciambri, Indagini Storiche sulla Community Greco-Albanese
di Palermo, Grottaferrata : Tipograria Italo-Orientale "S. Nilo", 1963, P- 97-
Cfr. also pp. 125-126 of the same work and N. Borgia, J Monaci Basiliani d' Ita-
lia in Albania, 2 vols., Rome, i935> 1942. vol. I, pp. 28, 25.

IOO

3) Ecclesiastical and secular architecture (he gives example 171 of certain
city walls and towers, now in ruins, depicted on antimensia) ; 4) Paleo-
graphy and philology ; 5) textile industry ; 6) Liturgical usages.

The second tradition regarding the disposal of antimensia with-
drawn from active use is known especially from Greek sources. Thus
Protopapas Ferrari says : "After having been used for some time they
(the antimensia) are burned and the ashes are thrown into the sacrarium
which lies under the altar/' 172

DusaniC, 173 Liibeck, 174 Maloney, 175 and the Pedalion 176 concur
with Ferrari, and Mons. Sipiaghin 177 suggested similar legislation in his

170 Svetozar Steven Dusanic, "Ahthmhhc Kao HayHHH OSieKTaT"
("Antimins kao Nauimi Objektat"), IJpKBa KajieHflap Cpncne IlpaBOCJiaBHe
naTpnjapiiiHje 3a ITpocTy 1947 ToaHHy. [Church Calendar-Yearbook of the
Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate for the Year 1947), Belgrade : Stamparija "Ra-
denkobic", J947 (annual), pp. 60-63.

171 Ibidem, p. 62.

172 Ferrari, op. cit., p. 106 : "Dopo averli usati per qualche tempo, essi
si bruciano e le ceneri si gettano nel Sacrario Eucaristico, che giace sotto l'altare."

173 Dusanic, op. cit., p. 61 : "The greatest destruction of antimensia
came about through their being burned, when an old antimension was replaced
with a new one (we prescind from the discussion of whether this replacement
came about always because of real need or for other reasons). According to
ecclesiastical tradition, all old or discarded antimensia were burned. This practice
came about because it was not known how otherwise to dispose of them ; as
consecrated objects which were no longer useful, they were superfluous, and on
the other hand it was not fitting that they should lie about neglected in some
place. Thus burning the antimensia was found to be the most opportune solu-
tion... If furnished with relics, these were removed first before the antimension
was burned. For this reason the Orthodox Church has not conserved many anti-
mensia and especially not those from the remote past. Naturally, this practice
has done grave disservice to science, since these precious documents were de-
stroyed for all time." Professor Dusanic has failed to make the above-mentioned
distinction concerning the Russian Orthodox Church, cfr. above, pp. 96 ff.

174 Lubeck, op. cit., p. 411 : "It (the antimension) must never be washed,
but when it is worn out it is to be thrown into the fire." - "Nie darf es gewaschen
werden, sondern muss, wenn es abgenutzt ist, im Feuer seine Vernichtung sinden."

175 Maloney, op. cit., p. 1009 : "Only a bishop can consecrate an anti-
mension, which is never washed but when soiled burned."

178 Pedalion (Cummings), p. 132: "But if these (antimensia)* ...be com-
pletely spoiled, some authorities recommend that they be burned up in fire
(which is best) or be thrown to the bottom of the sea, or be disposed of under
untrodden ground."

177 Sipiaghin, loc. cit. : "When old and worn-out, they (antimensia) must

IOI

report to the Commission for the Codification of Oriental Canon Law.
Naturally, the Relics are to be removed before the antimensia are burned,
and these can then be used for the consecration of new antimensia.

Perhaps we may harmonize the two seemingly disparate traditions
by suggesting that old antimensia be preserved in a becoming place,
especially if they have some artistic or historic merit, but that when
there is no such motive, that they be burned (after removing the relics
and recording all important data) and the ashes disposed of in a fitting
manner. In fact, the preserving of antimensia according to the Russian
tradition would lead to the piling up of tremendous quantities of old ones,178
and the Greeks have not alway followed their own custom completely
because there exist many antimensia in Greek museums : 179 thus neither
branch of the Byzantine Rite has in practice considered its traditions in
this regard de rigueur, and we may feel free to follow here the dictates of
common sense, keeping in mind always the respect due to the antimension.

10. In summation, we make the following remarks :

1) the antimension loses its consecration only when completaly
destroyed ;

2) however, it loses its usefulness (is rendered unfit to have the
Divine Liturgy celebrated upon it) when it becomes too old, torn, frayed
or soiled : common sense must be the guide here ;

3) it is considered undesirable to wash or mend a soiled or damaged
antimension — it should rather be withdrawn from use ;

4) withdrawn antimensia should be either kept in a decent place
and some record kept of the pertinent data regarding them, or they should
be burned (after the relics have been removed) and the ashes disposed
of in a fitting manner.

be burned, never repaired or washed." "Logori e usati, essi dovevano essere
bruciati, mai riparati o lavati."

178 Cfr. above, p. 97.

179 E.g. in the Benaki Museum and the Byzantine Museum, both in Athens,
and in the museum attached to the Italo-Greek monastery of Saint Xilus
(S. Nilo) at Grottaferrata, outside Rome.

CHAPTER FIVE

THE USE OF THE BYZANTINE ANTIMENSION

We will consider the use of the antimension under its physical
aspects (material element), i.e. where and how it is used, and under its
personal aspects (formal element), i.e. the necessity and origin of the
permission to use the antimension.

I. Material Element

As we have seen in our historical section, 1 the antimension originated
as a portable altar to be used for the celebration of the Holy Mysteries
outside of a consecrated Church and altar, or in cases where the canonical
consecration of the altar and /or the presence of Relics was problematical.
However, with the passage of time, the present custom arose of placing
antimensions on all altars, even on fixed altars containing Relics and
regularly consecrated by a bishop.

Even when the antimension is used as a substitute for a consecrated
fixed altar, we may distinguish in the Byzantine Rite between moveable
and fixed antimensia ; moveable antimensia are those which are used
regularly extra loca sacra (outside of a church or oratory) for the cele-
bration of the Divine Liturgy ; fixed antimensia are those which are used
in a established church or oratory in which the altar is an unconsecrated
table upon which the antimension is placed and habitually remains there.*
Sometimes, in past times, the fixed antimensia were fastened permanently
to the unconsecrated table serving as the altar; thus the author who goes
under the initials, P.E., says :

"Those antimensia which were distributed for the purpose
that they would remain always on a particular altar, are called
immoveable ; they were sewn with thread to the under altarcloth

1 Cfr. above, pp. 30-32.

2 Cfr. Nikolskij, Antimins, pp. 61-98.

104

(sracia) or even affixed to the altar with nails ; that is why
these antimensia on the reverse side, rarely on the obverse, have
reinforced corners. It is obvious that the dimension of these
antimensia varied: the larger ones were intended to be used
always in a church, while the smaller antimensia, were more
convenient to carry about for the celebration of the Divine Li-
turgy (outside of a Church or oratory)/' 3

The difference between moveable and fixed (immovable) antimensia
was at times highlighted by an inscription on the antimension which
would specify its use. In this regard, Petrovskij, reports :

"According to the difference between churches to which they
were consigned, antimensia are distinguished as movable and
immovable. Movable antimensia are those given for field chur-
ches or domestic oratories and in general to those places con-
structed for a limited time only. This particular form is some-
times characterized by inscriptions such as the following : 'For
the celebration of the Divine Liturgy in any place whatsoever' ;
'For use by the (Universal) Church in every place under its
jurisdiction' ; etc. Movable antimensia were also sent to places
in which there were no fixed churches (thus in 1858 the Holy
Synod permitted the use of movable antimensia in the circum-
scription of Irkutsk, Siberia) ; they were sent temporarily to
churches which were in the process of reconstruction or reno-
vation in order that the Liturgy might be celebrated in a pro-
visory chapel ; and in ancient times they were sent to hermitage
chapels, constructed in the wilderness for a monastery or for
the nearby inhabitants (Imperial Decree of 1641).

"...Immoveable antimensia are those destined for permanent
churches, i.e. not constructed as provisional measure." 4

We must examine the use of the antimension then under two
aspects : its use as a true portable altar outside of a consecrated fixed
altar, and its use on a consecrated fixed altar as a type of corporal.

3 P.E. op. ext., no. 2, pp. 75-76.

4 Petrovskij, op. ext., col. 807-808. We can compare the moveable anti-
mension with the Latin petra sacra (portable altar stone) used extra loca sacra
(outside of a church or oratory), and the immoveable antimension with the Latin
petra sacra used ad modum fixi (i.e. used habitually in a permanent non-con-
secrated wooden, cement or masonry table or "altar". The Latin petra sacra
itself is a small slab of stone, usually about I inch (2.5 cm.) thick, eight
inches (ca. 20 cm.) on a side (these dimensions may vary considerably), con-
taining relics and consecrated by a Bishop or deputed Priest. Cfr. above pp. 4,
14, 21, 23, 24 ; below pp. 311-312.

io5

A. The Antimension Used as a Portable Altar

The great Byzantine canonist, Theodore Balsamon, notes in his
commentary on Canon 7 of the Seventh Ecumenical Council that to
fulfill the prescriptions of this canon directing that the Holy Sacrifice
be celebrated only on canonically consecrated altars containing the re-
quisite relics of martyrs, the antimension suffices as a substitute for the
consecration of the place. 5 The other commentators, as for example St.
Symeon of Thessalonica, insist that the antimension is in every way equ<\l
to a fixed altar, receives the same consecration, and "is filled with the
Glory of God." 6 St. Theodore the Studite, replies to a query regarding
the liceity of celebrating or concelebrating in a Church being used b
heretics (probably Iconoclasts), that it is preferable rather to celebrate
outside -of a church but on an antimension, that is on an altar in the
form of a linen cloth or wooden tablet. 7 We known from Church Histo-

5 P.G. 137: 911; also cfr. John of Kitros, op. ext., P.G. 119: 976, "If
therefore the Church is not consecrated, the sanctifying power of the antimension
supplies for this deficiency."

6 Symeon of Thessalonica, op. cit., P.G. 155 : 333, "And everything is
done to these (antimensia during their consecration) that is done to a fixed altar
because they are one and the same Holy Table (altar), and they are filled with
the Glory of God." Cfr. also Manuel Charitoupolis, op. cit., P.G. 119 : 811 ;
De Meester, op. cit., p. 159. That is why it is strange to find authors who feel
that the antimension is not a true altar ; thus James Godley, The Time and
Place for the Celebration of Mass, Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University
of America Press, 1948 ; p. 172, giving his opinion for the prohibition, contained
in can. 823, of the Pian-Benedictan Codex Iuris Canonici, for Latin priests to
celebrate on the Greek Antimension, says: "A Priest of the Latin Rite cannot
use the antimension, since he must celebrate Mass on a consecrated altar." This
statement would have to be modified to, "A Priest of the Latin Rite, unless he
has special faculties, cannot use the Byzantine Antimension, even though it is
a consecrated altar, because he must, according to Latin Rite tradition, cele-
brate Mass on a stone altar." No one would deny that the High Altar at the
Archbasilica of St. John Lateran is a consecrated altar, even though it is a wooden
table (thought to be the table on which St. Peter or at least the early Popes
celebrated the Eucharist). This altar was later encased in stone, but the stone
is only a protective frame or case, and the celebrant (the Pope or his delegate
with special faculties) celebrates the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass directly touching
the wooden table which is exposed on its top surface. (The wooden front sur-
face can be seen by sliding back two small doors in the front of the stone casing1).
Cfr. below, p. 314.

7 P.G. 99 : 1056, St. Theodore uses the word "thysiasterion" (0'jaiaa-
nQpiov), and not the word, antimension, but it is clear that when he speaks of
celebrating outside of a church on an altar in the form of a linen cloth or wooden

io6

rians 8 and from Canonists such as Theodore Balsamon 9 that the clergy
celebrated the Sacred Rites in army camps "under a cotton tent which
had been designated as a church." 10

St. Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople (occupied Ecumenical
Throne 806-815, died 829 A.D.) 11 edited various canons among which
are some concerned with antimensia ; 12 germane to the present discussions
is the following :

"Canon 97 : It is wrong to condemn too precipitously one
who having an antimension has celebrated the Divine Liturgy
or baptized 13 in a private place, 14 in a house or on a boat, if

tablet, that he is speaking of what was later (or contemporaneously by others)
called an antimension. Cfr. Lubeck, <yp. cit., pp. 402-403 ; Raes, op. ext., p. 60.
Cfr. above, p. 28 ff.

8 Eusebius, De Vita Constantini, II, cc. 12, 14, P.G. 20 : 989-992 ; So-
crates, Historia Ecclesiastica, I, c. 18, P.G. 67 : 123-124 ; Sozomen, Historia
Ecclesiastica, I, c. 8, P.G. 67 : 880-881 ; cfr. also Shipman, op. cit., pp. 563-564.

9 Op. cit., P.G. 138 : 965.

10 Petrides, E.O., p. 198, notes that according to St. Symeon of Thessalonica,
this ancient custom recalls the portable Tabernacle set up by Moses in the desert.

11 Nicephorus, a contemporary of St. Theodore Studite, was a valiant de-
fender of the orthodox doctrine concerning Images and Relics against the Ico-
noclasts. For his life and times, vid. Paul J. Alexander, The Patriarch Nice-
phorus of Constantinople, Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1958. Cfr. also Petrides, E.O.,
pp. 195-196 ; Lubeck, ip. cit., p. 403 for questions of authorship of these canons.

12 For the original text of the canons of Nicephorus, vid. J. B. Pitra,
Juris Ecclesiastici Graecorum historia et monumenta, Rome : 1864 ff., II, pp. 329,
337, cfr. below, pp. 275-276. For a translation into French vid. Petrides, E.O.,
p. 196 ; into German vid. Lubeck, op. cit., pp. 403-404. In regard to questions
concerning the actual authorship of these canons, cfr. Braun, op. cit., p. 93 ;
Lubeck, loc. cit. (opts for St. Nicephorus I 806-815) '> an^ Petrides, loc. cit. (opts
Nicephorus II 1260-1261). Cfr. also Alexander, op. cit., p. 156. Cfr. below, p. B5S.

13 Baptism is mentioned here because the Byzantine Church (especially
all the branches of the Orthodox, and of the Catholics, the Russian Catholic
branch of the Byzantine Rite) conserves until this day the ancient custom of
giving all the Sacraments of Initiation together : Baptism, Confirmation, and
Eucharist. Thus Baptism usually takes place in conjunction with the celebra-
tion of the Divine Liturgy (for which an antimension is needed). Cfr. Balsa-
mon, op. cit., P.G. 137 : 613, 138 : 965. Also : Ernest Benz, The Eastern Or-
thodox Church, Garden City, New York : Anchor books - Doubleday & Co.,
x963, p. 39 : Aristide Brunello, Le Chiese Orientali e VUnione, Milan : Editrice
Massimo, 1966, p. 169 ; Mercenier, op. cit., I, p. 325 ; Sokolof, op. cit., p. 119 ;
Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church, Baltimore, Maryland : Penguin Books,
1963, p. 286 ; Nicholas Zernov, Eastern Christendom, New York : G. P. Put-
nam's Sons, 1961, p. 251.

14 I.e. outside of a place consecrated to Public worship, extra loca sacra.

ioy

sanctified by the presence of Sacred Images, 15 for the clerics
who follow the Emperors celebrate the Liturgy in the de^
and only under a cotton tent set up for that purpose."

The antimension must be used where a consecrated altar is lacking14
on doubtfully consecrated altars 17 and on exsecrated altars ; 18 a priest
who celebrates outside of a consecrated altar without using an antimen-
sion should be punished with a year's penance and with ioo prostrations
(per day). 19

Nilus Keramenus, Patriarch of Constantinople (1380-1388 A.D.;
adds that the antimension should be used only in a decent place, separated
from profane places by a wall or hangings, and should have at its left side
a Prothesis 20 as do fixed altars. 21

15 Images are "de rigeur" in Byzantine liturgical worship and are probably
specifically mentioned here because the Iconoclasts had extirpated the sacred
Ikons from the churches. In Russia, from about the XVI century on, the mi-
litary chaplains had complete "Mass-kits" which included portable Ikons to
be set up in place of the Ikonostasis, for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy
in the field.

16 Cfr. John of Kitros, op. cit., P.G. 119: 975; Theodore Balsamon,
op. cit., P.G. 137 : 614-616, 912 ; De Meester, op. cit., pp. 160-161 ; Lubeck,
op. cit., p. 407 ; Petrides, DTC, col. 1389 ; Petrides, E.O., p. 197.

17 Cfr. Manuel Charotoupolis, op. cit., P.G. 119: 812; Patriarch Mat-
thew, "Letter to Metropolitan of Heraclea", Miklosich and Mueller, Acta et
diplomata graeca, t. II, pp. 340-341 ; John of Kitros, op. cit., P.G. 119 : 975 ;
Symeon of Thessalonica, op. cit., P.G. 155 : 313 ; Shipman, op. cit., p. 563.

18 Cfr. Patriarch Matthew, loc. cit., Petrides, E.O., p. 197.

19 Cfr. Canon 98 of St. Nicephorus the Confessor : vid. p. 276 below.

20 The Prothesis (Greek Hp6Qzai<; meaning "preparation" ; Slavonic
JKepTBeHHHKt Zertvennik indicating "where the Sacrifice is prepared") is a small
table at the left of the Holy Table (Altar) in the sanctuary. It faces either East
or North (in a traditionally East-oriented church), and is sometimes found in
an apse of its own when the East end of the church terminates, as did many
ancient churches, in 3 apses (the Holy Table itself being in the central apse).
On the Table of Prothesis, the Priest, assisted by the Deacon, prepares the ele-
ments of bread and wine in a private ceremony of duration about 15 to 20 mi-
nutes, before the Liturgy of the Catechumens. At the Great Entrance, the ele-
ments are carried from the Table of Prothesis in a solemn procession which moves
out of the North door of the Iconostasis into the interior part of the nave of the
church and back into the sanctuary through the central door ("Royal Door")
where they are deposited on the Holy Table. Toward the end of the Litur^v.
after the Communion of the Clergy and Faithful, the remainder of the Eucharist
is carried directly from the Holy Table to the Table of Prothesis where it will be
consumed by the Priest or Deacon after the Liturgy. The Table of Prothesis is

io8

From the above, then, may draw the following conclusions :

i) The antimension must be used by the Byzantine Rite Priest who
celebrates the Divine Mysteries outside of a certainly canonically con-
secrated altar. 22

also called the Proskomide (Greek : npoaxojxtSr)) or Proskomedia (Slavonic :
ripocKOMHflHfl) from assimilation with the Office of Preparation (Proskomedia)
which takes place on it, and also (rarely) the Paratrapezion (Greek IlapaTpa-
tt££iov : "side table"). The Table of Prothesis is therefore a liturgical necessity
in the Byzantine Rite. However, P.E., op. cit., no. i, p. 71 notes that in case of
emergency the antimension supplies for all which is necessary for Liturgy in-
cluding prothesis, altar (linens, etc.). It represents the Grotto of the Nativity,
as is obvious from some of the prayers of the Office of Preparation (e.g. "And
the star came and stood where the Child was"), and from the fact that it is
usually furnished with an ikon of the Nativity. In addition to this symbolism,
Byzantine mystical commentators on the Liturgy see in the fact that the ele-
ments rest on the Prothesis until the Great Entrance, a reference to the Hidden
Life of Jesus, and in the fact of the Eucharist being carried to the Prothesis at
the end of the Liturgy, Christ's Ascension, when he was again hidden from the
gaze of man. The Table of Prothesis is usually covered with at least one linen
or silk cloth (it should not be furnished with an antimension, and it is not a
consecrated altar) ; its approximate equivalent in other Rites (principally the
Latin Rite) is the credence table, originating out of the necessity of having some
convenient surface other than the altar itself, on which to place the oblata and
other things necessary for the Divine Liturgy, cfr. Attwater, op. cit., I, pp. 39,
224 ; Brunello, op. cit., pp. 156, 562 ; Couturier, op. cit., I, p. 69 ; De Meester,
op. cit., pp. 198, 211 ; Goar, op. cit., pp. 10-11, 17, 21, 49; V. Laurent, "Le
rituel de la proscomide de la metropolite de Crete Elie", Revue des Etudes By-
zantines XVI (1958), pp. 1 16-142 ; Lubeck, op. cit., p. 407; K. Lubeck, "Das
Kultusgebaude der Greichen", Pastor Bonus, XXV, 223-229 ; Nikolskij, Ustav,
pp. 13, 805-806 ; Filippo Oppenheim, "Antimension", Dizionario Ecclesiastico,
vol. I, p. 167 ; Or do Celebrationis Vesper arum Matutini, et Divini Liturgiae iuxta
Recensionem Ruthenorum ; editio altera, Rome : Sacra Congregatio pro Ecclesia
Orientali (tipografia Pio X), 1953, pp. 3, 47-57; Sofrone PEtrides, "La preparation
desoblats dans le rite grec" ; Les Echos d' Orient, III (1899-1900), pp. 65-78 ; Raes,
Introductio in Liturgiam Orientalem, pp. 35-37, 62-75 ; Salaville, An Introduc-
tion to the Study of Eastern Liturgies, pp. 23, 112, 137 ; Sokoloff, op. cit., pp. 2,
9, 14-16, 60-62.

21 Greek text in Rhalles and Potles, STNTATMA, t. V, pp. 141-142,
cfr. also Petrides, DTC, col. 1390.

22 Cfr. P.E., op. cit., no. 2, p. 75 where the author includes a note on the
morality (according to the Russian Orthodox Church) of celebrating without an
antimension : "In the Russian Orthodox Church since early times the antimen-
sion has been an essential and indispensable furnishing of the Sacred Altar. In
the 'Doctrinal Notices' annexed to the SluZebnik it is said that a Priest commits
a mortal sin if he celebrates the Eucharist 'outside of a hallowed church without

109

2) The place in which the antimension is used must be decent. 23

3) The antimension may be placed on any convenient flat surface
and should have another flat surface at its left to be used as a Prothesis;
no special altar cloths are necessary. 24

a Holy Table', i.e. Antimension." See also Ferrari, op. ext., p. 107, 110-111 ;
Raes, op. cit., p. 64.

23 From what has been said above and from the history of the Antimen-
sion, it seems clear that it can be used sub dio (i.e. in the open air) ; in this case
common sense and the respect due to the Holy Mysteries dictate precaution lest
the elements be upset or contaminated by insects or dust, etc. Cfr. also Braun,
op. cit., I, p. 92 ; Petrides, DACL, col. 2322 ; Raes, op. cit., p. 65 ; Fonti Orien-
tali, serie II, fascicolo VII (Textus Selecti Iuris Ecclesiastici Russorum), p. 211,
no. 683 where a decree of the Holy Synod 19-23 Dec. (sic) 1885 : "The Holy
Synod has decided to permit according to the will of the Bishops of Eparchies
(Dioceses) that they may concede... to missionaries and parish Priests permission
to celebrate the Liturgy on antimensia and portable altars both in oratories and
chapels as well as other apt buildings, and likewise sub divo." "Sancta Synodus
decernit permittere arbitrio Episcoporum eparchalium... ut concedant... mis-
sionariis et sacerdotibus paroecialibus sacrum litare in antiminsii et altaribus
portalibus tarn in oratoriis et capellis quam in aliis aedificiis ad hoc aptatis, et
similiter sub divo."

24 In regard to the altar cloths, we have seen that the Antimension sub-
stitutes for the entire altar. Even on a duly consecrated altar, as we will see in
the section following immediately, the Antimension is always the uppermost
cloth and the Chalice and Diskos (Paten) are placed directly upon it. Cfr. also
P.E., op. cit., no. 1, p. 70 where it is said that the antimension in case of ne-
cessity supplies for the Prothesis, Holy Table, and all other altar furnishings.
The same may be implied from A. Gutierrez, "De linteo benedicti loco altaris
portatilis pro Missionariis", Commentarium pro Religiosis et Missionariis, 34
(1955). where, on p. 288 the author contrasts the Latin and Byzantine anti-
mesia : "This Latin linen cloth (Latin antimension) imitates in a certain
fashion the Oriental Antimension ; however, it differs substantially from it
(Oriental Antimension) in that it (Latin Antimension) substitutes only for the
(portable altar stone (Petra Sacra) : 'All other regulations are to be observed
which are prescribed by the Rubrics, especially in regard to the use of altar
cloths and corporal'." "Hoc Linteum Latinum quodmodo imitatur antimen-
sium orientale ; tamen substantialiter ab eo differt quia tantum substituit
petram sacram : 'servato de cetero servandis iuxta rubricas, praesertim quoad
tobaleos et corporaleV The author thus points out that the usual three blessed
altar cloths and a corporal (cfr. Codex Rubricarum, n. 526) must be used with
the Latin Antimension which makes it substantially different from the Byzan-
tine Antimension with which no further altar cloths nor corporal is necessary.
It would certainly be laudable and in accord with ecclesiastical tradition to cover
the surface used as Prothesis and that upon which the antimension is to be
placed with a clean cloth, and to carry the antimension when travelling in the

B. The Antimension used on a consecrated fixed Altar

Before treating of the use of the antimension on a consecrated
altar and the development of this practice, some prenotes on the modern
Byzantine altar are in order :

r. The fixed consecrated altar ordinarily consists of a square wooden
table standing free from the walls of the sanctuary and furnished with
5 legs or columns firmly affixed to the sanctuary floor or altar platform;
the four columns hold up the wooden table while the fifth column is a
shorter one, under the center of the table, on which a coffer of relics is
placed during the consecration of the altar. Stone altars are sometimes
to be found, and even metal ones (usually silver or gold) of which modern
examples are to be found in the Sobor of St. Nicholas in Leningrad and
in the Skete of St. Andrew on the Holy Mountain (Mt. Athos). 25

2. The principal altar coverings are two in number : first a white
linen cloth which covers the top and four sides of the wooden altar table,
called the Katasarkion (Greek: Kaxacrapxiov ; "against the Body") referring
to the fact that it is a symbol of the winding-sheet of Christ (as is the
altarcloth in the Latin Rite). In Slavonic it is called Katasarka, Priplotie,
or Sracica (KaTacapna, IlpHnjiOTHe, or Cpannua). The Katasarkion is
fastened to the altar by a complicated series of crossed cords and by

tradional eileton (to be considered in the section immediately following). Many
missionaries carry the antimension in a plastic bag or protective covering. In
regard to the transportation of antimensia Bulgakov, op. tit., p. 710 describes
the great respect with which the Russian Orthodox clergy used to treat these
sacred objects : "In certain regions, for transporting antimensia, special coffers
are constructed, lined inside with silk and velvet, with a cross on the cover,
and with special locks ; they are made in such a manner that they can be easily
carried tied to the breast with ribbons... under the outer garments ; during sleep
and meals these boxes are taken off and placed under the sacred ikons." (with
which each Russian home and public building was furnished).

25 Attwater, op. cit., pp. 39-40; Braun, op. cit., cfr. pp. 115-116, 187;
Brunello, op. cit., pp. 155-156; Consecration et Inauguration d'Une Eglise
selon le Rituel de VEglise Russe, op. cit., pp. 8-10 ; De Meester, op. cit., pp. 183;
Goar, op. cit., pp. 10-12, 17-19, 493, 652, 667 ; Mercenier, op. cit., pp. xxi-
XXIII ; Nikolskij, Ustav, pp. 5-14 ; Ordo Celebrztionis, etc., pp. 3-4 ; Raes,
op. cit., p. 35 ; Hapgood, op. cit., pp. xxx-xxxi, 493, 614 ; Salaville, op. cit.,
PP- I33_I35 i Sokoloff, op. cit., pp. 10-14. This altar is usually referred to as
the Holy Table and is called in Greek &ylat Tpaxre^a and in Slavonic UpeCTOJib
("Throne"). Cfr. Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 5.

Ill

ribbons. 26 The second altar covering is a silk (often brocade) cloth which
likewise covers the top of the altar and the four sides, called the Endytes
(Greek evSuTTjc; ; Slovonic PlHHHTHa). It is sometimes changed according
to liturgical season or feast, bright colors (usually gold or white) being
used for festive occasions and dark colors (especially dark red or even,
among the Slavs, although it is not originally a traditional color of the
Byzantine Rite, black). We may note here that the traditional Byzantine
Rite does not known a strict sequence of liturgical colors such as is found
in the Latin Rite. 27 Upon the altar may be placed only the artophorion
(Tabernacle), the handcross (used for giving Blessings), and the liturgical
lance and communion spoon, the lention (purificator), the Gospel Book,
and finally the antimension within the eileton.

3. "The eileton (Greek eiXyjtov ; Slavonic Mjihtoht,) is a piece of
cloth, usually a square of red silk, slightly larger than the antimension,
which lies directly on (or folded within, when not in use) the eileton. A
Latinism which has crept into the usages of some of the Catholic By-
zantine Churches is the use of a Latin Corporal on top of the Antimension
so that the Liturgy is not celebrated directly on the antimension but on
the corporal ; this Latin corporal is folded within the antimension, re-
versing the traditional roles of eileton (which the corporal replaces) and
antimension. 28

26 Cfr. Hapgood, op. cit., p. xxix ; Koren, op. cit., p. 20 (where the author
has a diagram showing how to fasten the Katasarkion to the altar) ; Merce-
nier, op. cit., p. xxii ; Nikolskij, Ustav, pp. 6, 805. The katasarkion is some-
times preceded by the hyphasmata (Greek \i^aa[i<xxcc) ; four pieces of cloth each
bearing the image, symbol, or merely the name of one of the four Evangelists
and fastened to each of. the four corners of the altar. Cfr. Salaville, op. cit.,
p. 124 and above, pp. 56~57-

27 Cfr. the authors cited in the immediately preceding notes above, loc.
cit., also P. Bernakadis, "Les ornements liturgiques chez les Grecs." Les Echos
d'Orient, IV (1902), pp. 321-325.

28 Cfr. Attwater, A Catholic Dictionary, p. 165 ; Braun, op. cit., pp. 95-
520; De Meester, op. cit., pp. 160, 187, 198; Ferrari, op. cit., pp. 105-111 ;
Goa'r, op. cit., p. 112 ; Lubeck, op. cit., pp. 410-41 1, 414-415 ! Lawrence Man-
cuso, Byzantine Seraphic Typicon, New Canaan, Connecticut : Franciscan Cu-
stody of St. Mary of the Angels, U.S.A., 1963, p. 4; Mercenier, op. cit., I.
p. xxii; Nikolskij, Antimins, p. 119; Nikolskij, Ustav, pp. 7, 127, 428; Petri-
des, DACL, col. 2321, 2322; Petrides, DTC, col. 1390; Petrides EO, pp. 197-
199, 202 ; Raes "Antimension, Tablit, Tabot", pp. 59, 64, 70 ; Salaville, op.
cit.', pp. 135, 152. The Dopolnitelnij Trebnik, Kiev: Pecersk Lavra, 1971. f°l.
39-40, gives some interesting particulars on the eileton : the eileton can be of

112

The antimension 29 lies folded within the folded eileton on the altar
under the Gospel Book when not in use ; both are folded four times more
or less like the Roman Rite corporal, except that the order of folding
is as follows : top, bottom, left, right. 30

The antimension and eileton are unfolded at the beginning of the
Liturgy of the faithful ; 31 the elements (on the paten and in the chalice)
are placed on it after the Great Entrance when they are carried to the

silk or linen, a little larger than the antimension for which it is destined, no
specific color metioned. Probably under Latin influence, a special blessing is
given for the eileton : the eileton is placed on the altar, incensed on all four
sides, a prayer recited over it, and finally it is sprinkled with Holy Water. Then
the antimension is placed inside it.

29 Within the folded antimension traditionally lies a small fine flattened
sponge about 3 inches (7.5 cm.) square, used for cleansing the diskos (paten) and
antimension. According to its natural symbolism, it represents the sponge soaked
in vinegar offered to our Lord on the Cross. It is made by washing a small fine
"Aegean Silk Sponge" and then allowing it to dry under a heavy weight. The
Melkites sometimes sew it into a small silk triangle. Cfr. Brunello, op. cit.,

p. l6o; COUTUTIER, Op. Cit., I, p. 69; LUBECK, Op. dt., p. 4II. MERCENIER, Op.

cit., 1, p. xxv ; Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 18 ; Salaville, op. cit., pp. 155-156 ; So-
koloff, op. cit., p. 15 ; Petrides, EO, p. 198.

30 Cfr. Bulgakov, op. cit., pp. 815, 816, 826. Gaetano Moroni, "Cor-
porale", Dizionario di Erudizione Storico Ecclesiastico, vol. XVII, p. 248 refers
the symbolism of the folding of the Antimension : "Gemma assigns another
mystical symbolism to the aforementioned folding of the Corporal (and anti-
mension) : 'It should be thus folded so that neither the beginning nor the end
are visible, as was the case with the handkerchief (covering the Face of Christ,
and left folded in the tomb after the Resurrection - John 20 : 7) in the tomb' "
"Gemma assegna altro mistero simbolico nella detta piegatura del Corporate :
"Quod ita plicari debet, ut nec initium, nec finis appareat, sicut etiam sudarium
in sepulcro'." Cfr. below, p. 188.

31 The eileton is completly unfolded and the antimension is partially
unfolded except for the last (upper) fold during the "Insistant Litany" after the
Holy Gospel ; the last part is unfolded during the Litany for the Catechumens at
the words "That He open to them the Gospel of Righteousness", or at the final
invocation (ekphonesis) of the Litany of the Catechumens, "That with us they
too may glorify Your most honorable and sublime Name, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.", at the end of the Liturgy
the Antimension (and eiliton) are refolded during the Litany of Thanksgiving.
Cfr. Amanieu, op. cit., col. 587 ; Bulgakov, loc. cit. ; Cinovik (Jordanville,
I965)» PP- 22, 26 ; Joannes Hanssens, InstUutiones Liturgicae de Ritbus Orien-
talibus Tomus II, De Missa Ritbuum Orientalium, Pars Altera, Rome : Pontifi-
cia Universitas Gregorianae, 1932, pp. 265-266 ; Hapgood, op. cit., pp. 90, 92,
120 ; H. Holloway, A Study of the Byzantine Liturgy, London : The Mitre Press

Altar of Sacrifice 32 from the Altar of Prothesis ; 33 they remain there
throughout the Anaphora and the Communion of Clergy and Faithful ;
then the antimension and eileton are finally folded again 34 after the
reimainder of the Eucharist is carried to the Prothesis where It will be
consumed after the Holy Liturgy. This then is the present use 35 of the

(no date), pp. 21, 198 ; P.E. op. cit., no. 1, p. 72, Nikolskij, Ustav, pp. 429, 426 ;
Petrides, EO, p. 198 ; Petrovskij, op. cit., p. 803 ; Raes, op. cit., p. 64, Sluiebnik,
(Rome, 1956), p. 64 ; Ferrari, op. cit., p. 107, compares the Byzantine usages
relative to the unfolding of the Antimension and its evelopement in the eileton
with similar usages in the Roman Rite : "The Roman Liturgy, in its Solemn Mass,
places the opening of the Corporal, as in our (Byzantine) Rite, at the beginning
of the Mass of the Faithful. It also prescribes like the Byzantine discipline, the
usage of -not transporting the Corporal to the Altar without its burse, or silk
lining (eileton)." "La Liturgia Romana, nella sua Messa Maggiore, fa aprire il
Corporale, come da noi, aH'inizio della Messa dei fedeli. Ed essa pure prescrive,
come la disciplina bizantina di non trasportare il Corporale sull'Altare, senza la
borsa, la vostra fodera di seta." Goar, op. cit., p. 112 and Petrides, EO, p. 198, note
that at this point in the Ambrosian Liturgy there is a special prayer "super
sindonem." Cfr. Missale Ambrosianum iuxta Ritum Sanctae Ecclesiae Medioalensis
(Editio Quinta post Typicam), Milan : John Daverio, 1946, pp. xxvn, xxxiv.

32 I.e. the Holy Table, Hagiha Trapeza, Prestol. Cfr. pp. 21-24. Cfr-
Hanssens, op. cit., t. 11, De Missa Rituum Orientalium, Pars Prima, 1930, p. 314,
t. in, pp. 272-274.

33 I.e. the Prothesis, Zertvennik, cfr. note 20, p. 107.

34 During the Litany of Thanksgiving, the celebrant makes the Sign of
the Cross upon the Antimension with the sponge, places the sponge in the center
of the Antimension and folds the eileton (with the folded antimension within it)
in the same order, and making the Sign of the Cross with the Altar Gospel Book
(Evangelary) over the antimension during the ekphonesis or invocation "For
You are our sanctification and to You do we render glory, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen." places the Gospel Book
down flat upon the Altar which is the permanent disposition of these objects on
the Holy Table unless they are being used during the Liturgy or unless the anti-
mension is removed for use as a portable altar outside of the church. Cfr. the
authors cited above in note 31, p. 185, loc. cit., also Hanssens, op. cit., t. 11.
p. 317, t. in, p. 528.

35 Cfr. Lubeck, op. cit., p. 415; Petrides, DACL, col. 2322-2323; Pe-
trides, DTC, col. 1 3 19 ; Petrides, EO, p. 202 ; Raes, op. cit., p. 64 ; Synodus pro-
vincialis Ruthernorum habita in civitate Zamosciae anno 1720, 3rd ed., Rome :
ed. Typographica S. Congr. Prop. Fide, 1883, p. 89. For photographs of the use
of the antimension, eileton (and Roman Corporal) by the Catholics of the Greek,
Melkite, Russian, and Ruthenian-Ukrainian Byzantine Rites, cfr. Nikolaus
Liesel and Tibor Makula, The Eucharistic Liturgies of the Eastern Churches,
Collegeville, Minnesota : The Liturgical Press, 1962, pp. 144-241, passim.

Also below, pp. 309-310.

9 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

II4

antimension on a consecrated altar : it is the analog of the Roman Cor-
poral ; 36 the eileton serves as its envelope. 37

4. There seems to be some evidence that, at least in Moscow and
Kiev with their dependencies, that the antimensia were sewn or nailed
down spread out on the katasarkion (sracica) ; this usage disappeared
by the XVII century due to a rubric published in the Sluzebnik (Missal)
of 1655 and of 1658, and a decree published by the Holy Synod of 1666-
1667 ; thenceforward the Antimension was folded in the eileton and used
as described above. 38 It is thus used by all the Orthodox Byzantines and
among the Catholics of the Greek, Melkite, Bulgarian, Georgian, and
Russian branches of the Byzantine Church. The Ukrainians and the
Ruthenians, because of a decree of the Provincial Synod of Zamosc in
1720 39 (which introduced some latinisms - the Sacred Congregation for the
Oriental Churches desires that the liturgical prescriptions ordained by
the Synods of Zamosc and Lvov be not introduced in those territories
where they have not yet been introduced 40) , leave the Antimension spread

36 I.e. insofar as the Holy Mysteries are celebrated directly upon it and it
is carefully cleaned and folded upon itself lest any particles of the Eucharist be
left upon the altar or brushed accidentally to the floor. There is an essential
difference between the two, viz. the antimension must be consecrated by a Bishop
and may serve as portable altar while the Roman Corporal is merely blessed (by
priest, although the blessing of the Corporal in the Latin Rite was at one time
reserved to a Bishop, cfr. Erwin L. Sadlowski, The Sacred Furnishings of
Churches, Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press, 1951,
p. 27, passim., and until recently was reserved only to priests who were Pastors
or Religious Superiors) and cannot serve as a portable altar. Cfr. Ferrari, op.
ext., pp. 107-108. We also note that in the Byzantine Rite the Antimension
serving as a Corporal is consecrated, although it does not usually touch the
Eucharist, while the Chalice and Diskos (Paten) are not ordinarily (traditionally)
consecrated, whereas in the Roman Rite, the Corporal is not consecrated (it is
blessed) although it did have the Eucharistic element of Bread lying directly
upon it, until the latest changes in the Roman Rite rubrics [Instruction altera ad
exsecutionem Constitutionis de Sacra Liturgia recte ordinandam, Sacra Congrega-
tio Rituum, May 4, 1967 ; text and commentary in Notitiae, III (1967), no. 5,
pp. 169-21 1 ; see III, p. 178) while the Chalice and Paten must be consecrated
by a Bishop (or Priest with special faculties). Cfr. Ferrari, loc. cit., also Ama-
nieu, op. cit., col. 587.

37 Ferrari, loc. cit., compares eileton to Roman burse.

38 Cfr. Petrovskij, op. cit., p. 803, and above, p. 104.

39 Cfr. Synodus Provincialis Ruthenorum habita in civitate Zamosciae
(3rd ed., Rome, ed. Typographia S. Cong. Fide, 1883, tit. Ill, 4, p. 89.

40 Cfr. "Circular Letter of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Chur-

out under the top altar cloth and use a Roman Corporal in place of the
antimension and eileton on top of the altar. The reason for this is not
an appeal to more ancient usage but a practical consideration : to keep
the antimension from wearing out too quickly due to daily folding and
unfolding. There are some authors who are opposed to the traditional
use of the antimension 41 as a corporal : Lubeck deplores the present use
as a degradation :

"Thus in the present day practice a function and signifi-
ficance has been assigned to the antimension completely different
from that which it had in the past ; formerly, it was used only
to supply for the lack of an altar or its consecration ; today it
has been degraded from its function as an altar to that of the
eileton or corporal. As in many other cases one may note that
"the Greek Church has forgotten the origin and scope, the pri-
mitive purpose and the ancient history of its institutes ! 42
...the use of the antimension among the Greeks has undergone
a profound evolution, not to say a complete transformation
which ignores its characteristics and primitive purpose. " 43

"In conclusion, may we be permitted once more to strongly
deplore the fact that in the Orthodox Church as well as the

ches to Ruthenian Ordinaries", io September 1941, Protocl number 1219/28,
text in Orientala Christiana X, VIII (1942), pp. 136-139. Cfr. also A. Berko
(translator), Thz Order for the Celebration of Vespers, Matins and the Divine
Liturgy According to the Ruthenian Recension, Washington, D.C. : (no publisher ;
printed by "Redeemer's Voice", Yorktown, Sask., Canada), 1957, P- 5 > Joan-
nes Bilanych, Synodus Zamostiana an. IJ20 (ejus celebratio, approbatio et mo-
mentum), Rome : Pontificia Universita Lateranensis (Theses ad Lauream n. 161),
pp. 60, 125-127 ; Marusyn, op. cit., p. 65.

41 I.e. as a corporal ; cfr. P6trides, EO, quote, p. 202 ; Raes, op. cit., p. 64;
Salaville, op. cit., pp. 152-155.

42 A rather unfair statement in view of the many times that Western
writers appeal to the practices of the Greek Church as witnesses of more pri-
mitive and traditional practices.

43 Lubeck, op. cit., p. 411 : "So hat das Antimension, der ehemalige Ersatz
fur den konsekrieten bew. fehlenden Altar, in der Praxis heute eumeist eine ganz
andare Rolle und Bedeutung erhalten : von Altare ist es zum einfachen Eiliton
oder Korporale herabgesunken. Man sieht, die griechische Kirche hat auch in
diesem wie in so manchem anderen Punkte den Entstehungsgrund und den
urspriinglichen Zweck, die erste Aufgable und die alteste Geschichte ihrer In-
stitutionen vergessen ! ...Wenn nun auch hinsichlich des Gebrauches des Anti-
minsions bei de Greiche eine tiefgehende t)nderung, ja eine vollstandige, die
Eigenart und die urspriingliche Aufgabe desselben aufhebende Umwalzung
eingetreten ist..."

Greek Catholic church, the antimension, in the majority of
cases, has lost its primitive significance : originally it was meant
to be the substitute for the consecrated altar ; today, unfor-
tunately, it has been degraded to a simple eileton or corporal.
It is to be desired that it will be restored to its former dignity
and original function ! Its place, prescinding from its use as an
emergency altar while traveling, etc., is on the unconsecrated
altar. If we wish to specify the relation of the other altar linens
with the antimension, the true relationship would be that
existing at the time of Archbishop Symeon of Thessalonica
(vid P.G. 155 : 313, 332 ff.) : they should cover it in such a
fashion that the eileton obtains once more its ancient use as a
corporal." 44

In view of this polemic, we must examine, then, the historical and
canonical basis for the use of the antimension on consecrated fixed altars.

5. The antimension was the answer to the need for a convenient
portable altar in troubled times 45 and became widespread with the en-
thusiasm to comply with the Seventh Canon of the Seventh Ecumenical
Council. 46 Protopope Ferrari believes that the primitive use of the anti-

44 Ibid., pp. 414-415 : "Zum Schlusse sei nochmals dem lebhaftesten Be-
dauren Ausdruck gegeben, dass das Antiminsion in der orthodoxen wie in der
Katholischen griechischen Kirche seine ehemalige Bedeutung in den weitaus
meisten Fallen verloren hat, — urspriinglich ein Ersatz fur den konsekrierten
Altar, ist es heute zur Rolle eines Eliton, eines Korporales herabgesunken.
Mochte es hene Wiirde und Bedeutung wiederelangen, welche ihme bei seinem
ersten Aufkommen zustand ! Es gehortum von seinem Gebrauche als Notaltar
auf der Reise usw. einmal abzusehen- nur auf unkonsekrierte Altare. Will
man die ublichen liturgischen Linnen richtig bei ihm zur Anwendung bringen,
dann sind, diese, wie es schon zur Zeit des Erzbischofs Simeon von Thessalonich
geschah, iiber ihm afzulegen, sozwar, dass das Eliton wieder seine alte Aufgabe
als Korporale erhalt."

45 Cfr. above, pp. 28 ff.

46 Cfr. above, p. 31. It may not be out of place to note here that the anti-
mension is still explicitly referred to as useful in persecution and other emergencies.
Thus in the "Doctrinal Notes" McBecHHii YHHTejibHOM appended to the Russian
Orthodox Sluzebnik (Missal) printed by the Synodal Press in Moscow, 1901,
fol 239b, it is directed that if during the Divine Liturgy a fire springs up in the
church, or the roof begins to fall, or if some other such calamity occurs, the
Priest is to carefully wrap up the Holy Gifts (Eucharist) in the antimension and
to carry them outside of the church to any suitable place where he may continue
and finish the Liturgy in safety. Cfr. Mirkovic, op. cit., XXI, p. 119 ; Nikolskij,
Ustav, p. 8 (where he concludes logically that the Priest is to continue the Li-
turgy from the point at which he was interrupted) ; P.E., op. cit., no. p. 75.

ii7

mension was precisely as a corporal and that only later, during the Ico-
noclastic persecutions, were relics added to it and its new scope as a
portable altar adopted.

"There are those who equivalate the eileton with the Roman
Corporal and the antimension with the petra sacra. From what
we have said it appears clear that the corporal, in its modern
meaning or better, in its unique modern form, has never existed
in the Byzantine Church... (Ferrari goes on to note that 'anti-
mension' may mean in Byzantine Greek 'over the table', i.e.
an altar covering) ...but the antimension substitutes, at times,
for the entire altar. And it is necessary to speak of this. Here
we have in reality a double use for which an object already
existing for another purpose was adapted. A double use ren-
dered necessary by the fact that evangelization passed from
-the small villages where the Priests sent by the Bishop cele-
brated upon improvised altars... (Ferrari remarks that the in-
clusion of relics in the antimension was due to necessity of
complying with Nicaea II but was also due to the vigorous
reaction against the Iconoclasts and the horror felt when these
heretics sacrilegiously cast out from the churches the sacred
Relics of the Martyrs)47... Therefore, to be faithful to the Li-
turgy and to the Tradition of our Fathers, we conclude : i) There
has never existed among us the corporal of the modern Roman
Liturgy ; 2) The antimension, consecrated by a Bishop, serves
the function of the corporal ; 3) The Byzantine Liturgy and
Canon Law cannot conceive of a Eucharistic Synaxis without
an antimension ; the priest who dares to celebrate without one,
even on a consecrated fixed altar, contravenes the taxative
norms of liturgical discipline ; 4) on a fixed consecrated altar
the antimension may (from the X century) or may not have
Relics sewn to it ; it would be more precise, in this case, to use
an antimension without Relics, which many call the 'eileton' ;
if the altar is not consecrated, this eileton (antimension) must
have Relics attached to it, which are joined to it during the act
of its consecration. " 48

47 Thus Philip Hughes, The Church in Crisis : A History of the General
Councils, 325-1870, Garden City, New York : Hanover House (A Division of
Doubleaday & Co., Inc.), 1961, p. 151 : "At one moment a law was enacted that
all the emperor's subjects should swear never again to venerate an image... The
minority who refused suffered cruelly. An now the emperor (Constantine V)
went beyond his council of 753. All prayer to the saints was forbidden, and all
veneration of their relics. These were to be destroyed. From the great basilica
at Chalcedon the body of the martyr to honour whom it was built, St. Euphe-
mia, was thrown into the sea. And so the reign of terror continued until Con-
stantine V died, the feast of the Holy Cross, 775."

48 Ferrari, op. cit., pp. 108-111 : "Vi e poi chi interpreta EIXt<t6v — Cor-

6. After the final triumph of the Church over Iconoclasm at the
end of the VIII century, the antimension, which had been used as a
portable altar, received a new purpose : it served "ad cautelam" to
supply for the problematical consecration of churches and altars, to
quiet scruples, if the re-consecration of these was impractical or un-
desireable: the canonical consecration of many churches remained doubtful
or there was present a strong suspicion that they were exsecrated due
to defilement by heretics. The practical expedient in most cases was to
use an antimension on the altar, even if it were a fixed altar, if its ca-
nonical qualifications remained in doubt. Soon the practice arose of
using antimensia on all altars, a usage witnessed by the fact that ca-
nonical authors and local synods from the early Medieval times until
the XVII century take pains to reprobate it, but in vain.

Thus, Patriarch Manuel Charitopoulos of Constantinople writes
in answer to a query of Metropolitan Romanos of Dyrrhachium in the
XIII century :

"It is not necessary to place antimensia on all Holy Tables
(Altars) but only on those whose consecration is uncertain.
For antimensia take the place of the consecration of the Holy
Tables ; nor are they to be used where the (Holy) Tables are
certainly (known to be) consecrated." 49

porale Romano e 'Av-cxuiv<nov — Pietra Sacra, Altare Portatile... Ma l"AvTi[i.7)vai.ov
sostituisce, delle volte, veramente la Mensa. Ed e necessario parlare di questo.
Si tratta in realta di un doppio uso a cui e stato adibito un oggetto preesistente
per altro scopo. Uso doppio, resosi necessario quando l'evangelizzazione, dalle
grandi citta, dove era e rimaneva il Vescovo, pass6 ai villaggi, dove questi in-
viava i presbiteri, che celebravano su Mense improvvisate... Per essere adunque
fedeli alia Liturgia e alia Tradizione dei Padri, concludiamo :

1) Non e mai esistito da noi il Corporale della Liturgia Romana di oggi.

2) L'AvTi[i.tvCTtov, sempre consacrato da un Vescovo, ha la funzione del
Corporale.

3) La Liturgia e il Diritto bizantino non concepiscono una Sinassi Eucari-
stica senza 'AvTifiivaiov. II Sacerdote che osasse celebrare senza, sia pure
su Altare consacrato, contravviene alle tassative norme della disciplina li-
turgica.

4) Se l'Altare e consacrato l'AvTtuivaiov puo avere cucite delle Reliquie
(dal sec. X in poi) e pu6 non averle. £ piu esatto, in questo caso l'AvTi{xtvoiov
senza Reliquie che molti chiamano E£Xy)t6v propriamente.

5) Se l'Altare non e consacrato 1'EDojt6v deve portare con se le Reliquie,
che si aggiungono ali'atto della sua consacrazione."

49 P.G. 119 : 812.

Archbishop John Kitros writes at about the same time :

"They (antimensia) are placed on the (Holy) Tables which have
not been sanctified by a consecration," 50
The great medieval Byzantine Canonist Matthew Blastares writes
in his Syntagma (ca. 1335) :

"Antimensia.. are principally placed on those (Holy) Tables
which have not been sanctified by a consecration " 51

The difference beween the texts of John of Kitros and that of
Blastares, posterior by about a century, is the fact that Blastares had
added the word "principally" or "fitly" (xup[wc;) 52 thus weakening the
force of the injunction. Apropos these texts, Fr. Alphonse Raes remarks:
"The Antimension had been invented to replace the conse-
crated altar ; this is the judgement of Balsamon. It is not ne-
cessary to place them on all altars, but only on those about which
there is a doubt concerning their consecration, opines Patriarch
Manuel Charitopoulos II. Matthew Blastares (circa 1335) is
less rigid : 'The Antimension is placed principally on non-
consecrated altars." 53

After noting these same fonts, Petrovskij says :

"The Greek Trebniks (Rituals) ...prescribes that the an-
timensia, after the consecration of the church, remain upon
the altar for only seven days, during which time the Liturgy
must be celebrated upon them each day ; once this period has
been completed, the antimensia are removed and the Liturgy
is celebrated only on the eileton (Goar, Euchologium, p. 884).
However, because of the affirmation of Blastares 'antimensia

50 P.G. 119 : 976.

51 P.G. 144 : 1060.

52 Cfr. A Lexicon Abridged from Liddel and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon,
Oxford : The Clarendon Press, 1958, p. 401.

53 Raes, op. cit., p. 63 : "U Antimension a ete invente pour remplacer
l'actuel consacr6 ; c'est l'avis de Balsamon. II n'est pas n6cessaire de la mettre
sur tous les autels, mais seulement lorsqu'on doute s'il est consacre, pense le pa-
triarche Manuel Charitopoulos II. Matthieu Blastares (vers 1335) est moins ri-
gide : on met l'Antimension principalement sur les autels non consacres." Cfr.
also Amanieu, op. cit., col. 587 ; Korolrvskij, op. cit., col. 498 ; Lubeck, op.
cit., pp. 405-406, 408 ; Petrides, DACL, col. 2321-2322 ; Petrides, DTC, col.
1390 ; Petrides, EO, p. 197-

120

are placed principally' , some are of the opinion that antimensia
are to be sometimes placed on altars consecrated by a Bishop
and that in this case the antimensia do not have relics in them...
Therefore, the altars consecrated by a Bishop originally were
not furnished with antimensia. We find a directive rubric in the
Trebnik (Ritual) of the epoch of Patriarch Nikon (of Moscow,
1652-1658, d. 1681) which repeats literally the above-mentioned
prescriptions of the Greek Trebniks (Rituals). But such a usage
endured for but a brief time." 54

These authors are more or less content to infer that the use of the
antimension on a consecrated fixed altar is a useless duplication, because
it consists in using one altar superimposed upon another, a portable
altar (the antimension) upon a fixed one. 55 But Matthew, Patriarch of
Constantinople, in a letter to the Metropolitan of Heraclea, written in
January of the year 1400, uses stronger language :

"The primitive purpose for which the antimension was insti-
tuted was to permit the celebration of the Holy Mysteries in
places where there was no consecrated altar in order to give
Communion to the moribund or to the newly baptized, or even
out of devotion in favor of the Emperors while in voyage,
Exarchs or Priests on a particular mission, Bishops making the
visitation of a vast diocese. However, where a fixed consecrated
altar is to be found, it is bad taste and ostentatious (dbreipox-
ccXtcc xai iiziSeifyc,) , treating an altar as if it were interdicted 56
or desecrated by placing an antimension on it before celebrating.
If a Bishop does this in the diocese of another, he should be
treated as an usurper.57 If a Priest who owns an antimension
uses it in this capricious manner, ostentatiously and with bad
taste, he should be deposed and the antimension sequestered,
even if it had been given to him by a Metropolitan or Patriarch.58

64 Petrovskij, op. ext., col. 800-801.

55 In this vein, cfr. Lubeck, op. ext., p. 405 ; Salaville, Introduction,
pp. 153-155 ; Petrides, EO, p. 198.

56 Cfr. authors above cited, loc. ext. ; also Petrides, DACL, col. 2322.

67 We must remember that in the Byzantine mystique, the consecration
of an altar by a Bishop denotes a sharing in the Apostolic Succession, and that
using the same altar for the celebration of the Holy Mysteries is a type of "com-
municatio in sacris" ; cfr. Ferrari, op. cit., p. 107.

68 As we will see in the section on the formal or personal element in the
use of the antimension, the giving of an antimension by a Bishop to a Priest
implicitly includes the Privilege of the Portable Altar; conversely, then, its
sequestration by the competent ecclesiastical authority would entail the implicit
cessation of this privilege. Cfr. below, pp. 133 ff. also Braun, op. ext., I, p. 92.

12 1

But if this Priest owns the antimension because it is necessary
and if the uses it only where there is no consecrated fixed altar,
or when such a one has lost its consecration, he should be allowed
to keep it, provided that he uses it to celebrate in a decent
place." 59

Despite Patriarch Matthew's injunction of brooking no nonsense
in this matter, this canonical writing, as Fr. Joseph Braun notes, cannot
have had a wide nor lasting effect because the practice of using antimensia
on all altars, even certainly canonically consecrated fixed altars, shortly
spread until it became universal. 60

7. In modern usage, 61 therefore, the antimension is found on all

59 For Greek text, cfr. Miklosich and Mueller, Acta et Diplomata Graeca
Medii Aevi Sacra et Profana Collecta, Vienna, i860 ff., II, pp. 340-341. For
German translation, cfr. Braun, op. ext., I, p. 96 ; Lubeck, op. cit., pp. 407-408.
For French : P6trides, EO, p. 197.

60 Braun, op. cit., I, p. 96 : "Des Patriarchen Schreiben hatte keinen,
jedenfalls ber keinen nachhaltigen Erfolg. Die Praxis, auch auf konsekrierten
Altaren ein Antimisions zu gebrauche, verbreitete sich immer mehr, bis sie
zuletzt allgemein ublich war." Cfr. also Petrovskij, loc. cit.

61 Cfr. R. Aigrain, Liturgia, Paris : Libraire Bloud et Gay, 1931, p. 894 ;
Amanieu, op. cit., col. 587 ; Braun, op. cit., I, pp. 91-92, 523 ; Brightmax,
op. cit., 569 ; C. Charon (alias Cyril Korolevskij), Le Rite Byzantin dans les
Patriarcats Melkites, Rome : Tipografia Propaganda Fide, p. 214 ; Courturier,
op. cit., I, p. 68 ; De Meester, op. cit., pp. 160-161 ; Dmitrevskij, op. cit., p. 96;
John Aloysius Duskie, The Canonical Status of Orientals in the United States,
Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press, 1928 ; Ferrari,
op. cit., pp. 109-111 ; Goar, op. cit., p. 112 ; James Godley, Time and Place for
the Celebration of Mass, Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America
Press, 1948, p. 172 ; K. Kallinikos, O Xpicmavixo? Na6?, Alexandri, 1929,
pp. 208-216 ; Lubeck, op. cit., pp. 405-406 ; F. J. Moreau, Les Liturgies Eucha-
ristiques, Paris: Vromant & Cie., 1924, pp. 97-98; Nabaa, op. cit., p. 203 ; Ni-
kolskij, Antimins, pp. 81-100 ; P6trides, DACL, col. 2322 ; P6trides, DTC, col.
1391 ; Petrides, EO, pp. 198, 202 ; Petrovskij, op. cit., col. 801-802 ; Raes,
op. cit., pp. 59, 63-64, 70 ; Michael Rajewsky, Euchologion der Orthodox-
Katholischen Kirche, Vienna : Druch Von L. C. Zamarski & C. Dittmarsch. 1861,
pp. xxxv-xxxvi ; Eusebius Renaudot, Liturgiarum Orientalium Collectio, 2
vols., II, ed., Frankfurt am Main : Joseph Baer, 1847, vol. I, p. 165 ; Rhallis
and Potlis, op. cit., V, p. 413 ; Salaville, Antimension, col. 643-644 ; Sala-
ville, Introduction, p. 153; Shipmann, op. cit., p. 564; Evan. Theodokoi .
'"AvTi|XY]vaiov", METAAH EAAHNIKH ErKYKAOIT AIAEI A , Athens: A Martinos.
1963, vol. II, pp. 870-871 ; P. M. Trempelas ' " AvTtjjLYjvaiov' ' , ©pttctxsjtixt; xal
' H6ixf) " EyxuxXoTT., Athens: Pyrsos, 1924, vol. IV, pp. 880-881.

122

altars. 62 Some authors as we have noted above, 63 deplore this use of
the antimension and would like to see a return to its primitive and ex-
clusive function as a portable altar. Thus Sophrone Petrides :

"As for employing an antimension on a consecrated altar,
this constitutes on the part of the Orthodox an absolutely
unjustifiable innovation : The Catholics would do better to
hold to the more ancient tradition." 64

But, cannot we allow for change in Liturgical usage a gradual de-
velopment, starting in the early Middle Ages, at first resisted, but then be-
coming an almost universal custom ? The first legislation which we have
to witness the change in usage is in the Russian Orthodox Church which,
in the Council of Moscow, 1675 A.D., decreed that "antimensia should
be placed on every altar, whether it had been consecrated by a bishop
or not." 65

62 Charon, loc. ext., mentions that some Melkite Catholics unnecessarily
place an old antimension under the topmost cloth of the table of Prothesis and
even in the Tabernacle (Greek: Artophorion; Slavonic: Darokhranitelnica). This
practice is noted also by Aigrain, Joe. ext., and Filippo Oppenheim, "Antimin-
sion," Dizionario Ecclesiastico, Turin : XX Unione Tipografico-Editrice Torinese,
1953, vol. I, p. 167. Though this custom is contrary to the Byzantine tradition
which uses the antimension only on the Holy Table and then only during the
Liturgy of Faithful, it probably arose from a sense of great respect for the Holy
Eucharist and also the problem of what to do with old antimensia (we will treat of
this latter problem in the next section). However, the present author has seen By-
zantine (Catholic) priests place the chalice containing the Eucharist (remaining
after the Communion of the Clergy and of the Faithful) on the small chalice Veil
(deuteron Kalymma, Pokrov) rather than directly on the cloth covering the Ta-
ble of Prothesis, when the Eucharist has been transferred there towards the
end of the Liturgy. The point is that there seems to be a tendency towards re-
luctance to allow the Sacred Vessel containing the Eucharist to rest on a mere
cloth ; we must remark however, that this tendency is to be resisted as an un-
necessary innovation contrary to accepted Byzantine liturgical practices.

63 Cfr. above, p. 115 ff.

64 P6trides, EO, p. 202 : "Quant a l'emploi de V antimension sur un autel
consacr6, il constitue a l'actif des orthodoxes une innovation absolument inju-
stifiable : les catholiques feraient peut-etre mieux de s'en tenir a l'ancienne tra-
dition."

65 Cfr. Shipman, op. cit., p. 564. Cfr. also Raes, op. cit., p. 64 ; Sluiebnik,
Moscow : Synodal Press, 1901, fol. 2266, 227a, 232b ; SluZebnik, Sofia : Bulgarian
Orthodox Press, 1924, p. 427.

123

In fact, a modern Greek Catholic author, Protropope Joseph Fer-
rari states :

"The Byzantine Liturgy and Canon Law do not conceive
of a Eucharistic Synaxis without an antimension. The priest
who dares to celebrate without one, even if on a consecrated
altar, contravenes the taxative norms of liturgical discipline.

And in regard to the Russian Church, Fr. Alphonse Raes says :

"Almzaov notes that there is today in the Russian Churcl ,
a strict obligation, not only under pain of mortal sin, but
under the pain of invalidating the sacrifice." 67

Ferrari reports the same type of extreme statement for the Greek
Church f

"The episcopal consecration of the eileton (i.e. antimension)
is so important, according to Byzantine theology, that some
ecclesiastical writers go so far as to impute invalidity to a
Liturgy celebrated without a consecrated eileton (i.e. the anti-
mension used on consecrated fixed altar). However extreme
such texts may be, it is certain however that the whole Byzan-
tine Church considers as schismatic the priest who would celebrate
without an antimension... Consequently, to celebrate without
an antimension signifies, in the Byzantine mystique, to undertake
the most sublime and august Liturgical action while torn away
from the Apostolicity, the Catholicity, the Unity of the Church."68

66 Ferrari, op. ext., p. in : "La liturgia e il Diritto bizantino non conce-
piscono una Sinassi Eucaristica senza il Sacerdote che osasse celebrare senza,
sia pure su Altare consacrato, contravviene alle tassative norme della disciplina
liturgica."

67 "Raes, op. ext., p. 64: "Almazov rappelle que e'est la, aujourd'hui dans
l'Eglise russe, une obligation stricte, non seulement sous peine de peche mortel,
mais sous peine d'invalider le sacrifice." Cfr. A. Almazov, Xeizdannye kano-
niceskie otvety Konstantinopolskago patriarkha Luky Khrizoverga I mitropolita
Rodossokago Nila, Odessa, 1903, p. 55, CICO Fontes, serie II, fascicolo V, p. 226;
P.E., op. cit., no 2, p. 75.

68 Ferrari, op. cit., p. 107: "E la consacrazione episcopale dell' EIXt4t6v
e talmente importante, per la Teologia Bizantina, che qualche scrittore ecclesia-
stico giunge fino a tacciare di invalidity una Liturgia celebrata senza Ei>.r<r6v
consacrato. Checche ne sia di simili tesi estreme, certo h per6 che tutta la
Chiesa Bizantina considera quale scismatico un sacerdote che celebrasse senza
'"Avri{iivaiov". "Celebrare, pertanto, senza 'Avxi^tvatov', signinca, nel concetto
bizantino, compiere la piu sublime ed augusta azione liturgica, avulsi dalla Apo-
stolicita, dalla Cattolicita, dalla Unita della Chiesa!"

I24

While the present author is certain that most competent theo-
logians, both Orthodox and Catholic, would repudiate the imputation of
invalidity to a Liturgy celebrated without an antimension (or for that
matter, without any altar at all), these texts do demonstrate the strict
obligation to use a consecrated antimension even on a consecrated fixed
altar in the Byzantine Rite. At the present time we cannot agree with
those authors who opt for immediate change in this custom of using anti-
mensia on all altars, consecrated or not. 68a

8. In conclusion, we note two facts : i) this usage of the consecrated
antimension on all altars, even consecrated fixed altars, has become a
canonically legitimate custom, even an obligation ; 2) In the Second
Vatican Ecumenical Council's Decree on the Catholic Churches of the
Eastern Rite, Orientalium Ecclesiarum, it is stated :

"All Eastern Rite members should know and be convinced
that they can and should always preserve their lawful liturgical
rites and established way of life, and that these should not be
altered except by way of an appropriate and organic develop-
ment." 69

Therefore there is no reason why the practice above-described
should not be assiduously retained unless and until legitimate canonical
and liturgical ecclesiastical authority should decide otherwise. 70

68a Cfr. below, pp. 225 ff.

69 Number 6. English translation from : Walter Abbott and Joseph
Gallagher (editors), The Documents of Vatican II, London : Geoffrey Chapman,
1966, p. 376 ; the original Latin text of the Decretum de Ecclesiis Orientalibus
Catholicis, November 21, 1964, n. 6, is as follows : "Sciunt ac pro certo habeant
omnes Orientales, se suos legitimos ritus liturgicos suamque disciplinam semper
servare posse et debere, ac nonnisi ratione proprii et organici progressus muta-
tiones inducenda esse." Cfr. also Johannes M. Hoeck's commentary on this
article, Herbert Vorgrimler (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Documents of Va-
tican II (5 vols.), New York : Herder and Herder, 1967, vol. I, pp. 317-319.

70 We should note here that Pope Clement VIII and Pope Benedict XIV
explicitly approved the use of the Antimension for the Italo-Greeks and for the
Ruthenians (Ukrainians) under the same circumstances under which they were
used by their Orthodox counterparts, that is even on consecrated altars and cele-
brating the Eucharist directly upon the antimension without intervening corporal.
We will treat of these Papal pronouncements below in the section concerning
"The Antimension in the Liturgical and Canonical Tradition of the Latin Church"
(since the decree themselves were largely concerned with the inter-ritual use
of the antimension), pp. 149-160. Cfr. Benedict XIV, Constitution Etsi Pasto-
ralis, May 26, 1742, nn. 17-18 (Fontes CIC, vol. I, p. 744) ; Constitution Imposito

125

II. Formal Element

We turn our attention at this point to the personal or formal ele-
ment with regard to the use of the antimension by clerics of the Byzan-
tine rite in its primary function as a portable altar: the necessity of
permission to use the antimension as a portable altar and the ecclesiastical
authority competent to grant it. Thus we distinguish the material element,
which is the portable altar itself (whether it be a consecrated stone, wooden
tablet, or antimension, according to the rite involved), the substitute for
a consecrated fixed altar, from the formal element, the Privilege of the
Portable Altar, which is the permission given by the competent eccle-
siastical authority to celebrate the Divine Mysteries outside a consecrated
church or oratory, using one of the aforementioned substitutes for the
consecrated fixed altar. 71 It is of this formal element that we intend to
treat in this section.

1. It is evident that no permission is needed to use the antimension
on a consecrated fixed altar in its role as a species of corporal ; in fact,
it is a liturgical necessity. 72

2. As a preliminary remark, in regard to Byzantine Catholics, it
would be well to note that the supreme Pontiffs have explicitly approved
the use of the antimension by the clergy of the Byzantine rite in communion
with the Apostolic See of Rome. Because of the alleged doubtful loyalty
to the Ecclesiastical authorities of their adopted country on the part of
some of the early Greek and Albanian immigrants in Calabria and Sicily,73
the first statements on the use of the antimension are somewhat cautious.
Especially the use of antimensia on already consecrated (by Catholics)
fixed altars must have seemed strange to the Latins and smacking of the
suspicion that the Byzantines considered that these altars had not been
validly consecrated or that the Byzantine Priests were chary of entering
into communion with the Latins by using their altars. 74 Thus Pope
Clement VIII, in his instruction Sanctissimus of August 31, 1595, says :

Nobis, March 29, 1751, nn. 6-7 (Fontes CIC, vol. II, pp. 309-310), where Pope
Benedict XIV also quotes a decree of Pope Clement VIII of the year 1602 ; En-
cyclical Allatae Sunt, July 26, 1755, n. 36 (Fontes CIC, vol. II, pp. 4 71-4 7- !
also Amanieux, op. cit., col. 587-589; Lubeck, op. cit., p. 414: Petrides. EO,
p. 202 ; Salaville, Introduction, p. 154.

71 Cfr. Bliley, op. cit., pp. 43~49, 97 > "0-112 ; Hhnxv. op. cit., p. 36.

72 Cfr. above, pp. no ff.

73 Cfr. below, pp. 151 ff-

74 We must remember that the Byzantine canonists themselves from the

126

"It would be well if the Greeks wished to accept portable
altars consecrated by Latin Bishops ; if, however, they do not
wish to do so, their practice of placing their antimensia or
"Thrones' ' on stone altars when they celebrate may be tolerated.
They must use corporals like the Latins, unless they use the
Thrones (antimensia) even for corporals." 76

Pope Benedict XIV repeats this statement word for word in his
Constitution Etsi Pastoralis of May 20, 1742. 76 Moreover, this same
Pontiff declares in his Constitution Imposito Nobis, March 29, 175 1 :

"It was never the intention of the Latin Church 77 that the
Rites of the Greeks be destroyed, but rather that they be always
conserved as far as possible, and indeed their observance has
been recommended to the Greek Catholics ; consequently the
celebration of Mass on such antimensia by Greek Catholics was
never rejected, but rather expressly declared as permissable
not only in the Orient 78 but even among the Italo-Greeks ; 79
this can be observed from both the Instruction published by
pour Predecessor of happy memory, Pope Clement VIII, and
from our own Constitution Etsi Pastoralis." 80

early middle ages until the XVII century reprobated the practice of using anti-
mensia on regularly consecrated altars, saying that it was bad taste and equi-
valent to considering the altar under interdict. Cfr. below, p. 120.

76 CIC Fontes, I, n. 179, p. 344 : "Si Graeci velint accipere Altaria porta-
tilia ab Episcopis Latinis consecrata, bene erit ; sin minus, tolerentur eorum an-
timensia, sive Throni, super Altaria lapidea ponendi, cum celebrant. Corporalia
ut Latini habeant, nisi thronis etiam pro corporalibus utantur." Sanctissimus
is directed to the Italo-Greeks.

76 CIC Fontes, I, n. 328, p. 744. Etsi Pastoralis is addressed to the Italo-
Greeks and Albanians of the Byzantine Rite in Italy.

77 This has always been true of the Popes, but not always of Latin Rite
Bishops and Religious in Calabria and Sicily. Of course, we have the famous
example of the Greek Rite Monastery of St. Nilus at Grottaferrata (Cryptafer-
rensis) a few miles outside Rome. For a thorough treatment of this whole ques-
tion, cfr. Adrian Fortescue, The Uniate Eastern Churches, The Byzantine Rite
in Italy, Sicily, Syria and Egypt, New York : Frederick Ungar Publishing Co.,
1923, pp. 21-184.

78 Therefore all Byzantine Rite Catholics are included, not only Italo-
Greeks.

79 The reason for this distinction between Byzantine Rite Catholics in
the Orient and in Italy will be seen below, pp. 149 ff.

80 CIC Fontes, II, n. 410, p. 309 : "Quum vero numquam Ecclesiae Latinae
mens fuerit, ut Graecorum Ritus destrueret, quin potius eorum semper conser-

I27

A. As used by a Bishop of the Byzantine Rite

We have already 81 alluded to the fact that any Byzantine terri-
torial Bishop may consecrate antimensia and send them even outside
the confines of his own territory. . Merely titular Bishops are not widely
known in the Byzantine Rite ; 82 of course, they may obtain this faculty
from the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches. If a Bishop
can consecrate antimensia, it would seem implicit that he can use them
(extra loca sacra) ; however, we have an explicit declaration to this
effect by Nilos, Patriarch of Constantinople (1379-1388). In a rather long
and diffuse passage, Patriarch Nilos states that the Liturgy is our prin-
cipal means of salvation and union with God and that it should therefore
be celebrated with fitting pomp in a place especially consecrated to God
for this purpose. However, it often happens that the military or the
Imperial Court must travel in locales where there are no churches. Also,
hermits who are priests have need of the Eucharist to further their sanc-
tification.

"We have found that it was established by the Fathers of the Holy
Councils that to these (army, court, hermits) were given a consecrated
altar in the form of a wooden plank or a linen cloth." 83 Those who have
received this antimension should use it in a place separated from the
profane by a wall or curtain. It should have at the left-hand side a
Table of Prothesis, somewhat smaller than the table on which the anti-
mension has been placed. "Not only the Patriarch, but also the Metro-
politans and Bishops in their Eparchies (dioeceses)" have the right to

vationi, quantum fas esset, nec non eorumdem apud Graecos Fideles observantiae
prospexerit ; numquam proinde Missarum celebratione, quae super huiusmodi
Antimensiis a Graecis Catholicis fit, improbavit, sed earn, et quidem non in par-
tibus Orientis dumtaxat, verum etiam inter Italo-Graecos, permitti expresse
declaravit ; ut videre licet turn in Institutione per fel. rec. Praedecessorem no-
strum Clementem Papam VIII edita, turn nostra Constitution, qua incipit : Etsi
Pastoralis." Imposito Nobis was directed to the Latin Rite Missionaries, the
Cardinals of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, and the
Byzantine Rite Catholics of Russia, the Ukraine, and Byelo-Russia ("White
Russia").

81 Cfr. above, p. 55 ff.

82 Cfr. Coussa, op. ext., I, p. 319-

83 Although at the time Patriarch Nilos writes, wooden antimensia must
have been comparatively rare. Cfr. above, pp. 22, 25, 27-32, 33"34- 6*. 105.

128

to act thus. The faithful must respect these portable altars in the same
manner as the consecrated fixed altars of churches. 84

B. As used by a Priest of the Byzantine Rite

In regard to the use of the antimension as a portable altar by
Priests of the Byzantine Rite, we must distinguish the use of an antimen-
sion by a Priest to hallow a chapel or oratory, from its use outside of a
sacred place (extra loca sacra).

I. To hallow a Chapel or Oratory

When a Byzantine Rite Bishop is somehow impeded, as for exam-
ple by reasons of health or the distance to be covered, from going per-
sonally to consecrate a church, chapel, or oratory, 85 he may give a con-
secrated antimension to a Priest with the commission to bless 86 the place

84 Rhalles and Potles, op. cit., V, pp. 141-142. Cfr. also Coussa, op. cit.,
I, p. 317 ; Gedeon, op. cit., II, pp. 57-59 ; Lubeck, op. cit., p. 407 ; Petrides,
DACL, col. 2322, EO, p. 197. It is strange to find the following inaccurate state-
ments among emminent western authors : Pietro Card. Gasparri, Tractatus
Canonicus de Santissima Eucharistia, 2 vols., Paris : Delhomme et Briguet, 1897,
I, no. 290, p. 207 : "At super antimensia celebrat simplex tantum sacerdos, non
vero episcopus." ; John A. Abbo and Jerome D. Hannan, The Sacred Canons
(II revised ed.), 2 vols., St. Louis, Mo. : B. Herder Book Co., i960, I, p. 822,
note 42 : "Antimensia are cloths used by priests of the Greek Rite for the ce-
lebration of Mass ; they are not used by bishops of that Rite. The fact that in
that Rite only one altar is consecrated seems to have given rise to the use of
these cloths. They are blessed when a church is consecrated."

85 " Prayer -house " in Greek, oTxo<; z\>xqrripioc,, in Slavonic mojihtbch-
HhiXT> jxom.. Cfr. Aloysius H. Feldhaus, Oratories, Washington, D.C. ; The
Catholic University of America Press, (Canon Law Studies Number 42), 1927,
pp. 7-8, 11-19; The Statute of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of
America (Official Texts, English and Russian), 1964, (no publishing data; pro-
bably published in New York and available from diocesan offices at 59, East
Secondo Street, New York 3, New York) : Article VI, section 126 (sic), p. 126 :
"Section 37. Services in House of Prayer. In houses of prayer services of the day
and te-deums may be celebrated in the usual form, but in cases worthy of special
consideration, with the permission of the diocesan authority, the Divine Liturgy
may also be celebrated on an antimins." (antimension). Our Lord Jesus Christ
said, quoting Isaias 56 : 7, "My house will be called a house of prayer." {Matthew
21 : 13 ; Luke 19 : 46).

86 The Byzantine Church, like the Latin Church, makes a distinction bet-
ween objects and places which are consecrated and those which are simply blessed.
Cfr. De Meester, op. cit., pp. 157, 161, and especially p. 208. Also above, pp. 78,
128 ; below, p. 199.

129

so that it may be used for Divine Worship, and so solemnly entrhro the
antimension on the fixed altar which has been simply blessed and not
consecrated. 87 In this case, the use of the antimension on a non-con-
secrated fixed altar in the Byzantine Rite is the analog of the use of a
portable altar-stone on a non-consecrated permanent or fixed altar (the
so-called quasi-fixed altar or altar e ad modum fixi) 88 so common, at
least for side altars (minor altars), in the Latin Rite. Evidently, this is
not the use of the portable altar extra loca sacra. As for the minister of
this dedication, it may be any Priest although one constituted in some
ecclesiastical dignity (e.g. Archimandrite, Hegumenos, Archpriest) 89 is
preferred. 90 Thus Father Denis Kiwitz, o.f.m., says :

"The Russian priests enjoyed the right of church dedication,
besides that of church foundation and reconciliation, very early.
The dedication, being an act of great importance, became a
privilege of a certain class of priests, generally those belonging

87 For the text of the ceremony of the dedication of a church or oratory
by a Priest by means of an antimension, cfr. Trebnik, Kiev : Pecersk Lavra,
1864, fols. 348-342b ; Trebnik, Rome : Vatican Polyglot Press, 1951, III, pp.
171-204. For translations of this ceremony, cfr. Malzew, Begrabniss-Ritus, op.
cit., part. II, pp. 143-155 (Slavonic with German translation) ; Rajewsky, op.
ext., part III, pp. 193-198 (German). For more particulars : Balsamon, P.G.
137 : 613, 138 : 965 ; Blastares, P.G. 144 : 1288 ; De Meester, op. cit., pp.
I57~I58» l6o» 161-163, 208-214, 548; Kiwitz, op. cit., pp. 54-59; Mirkovic,
op. cit., p. 120; Nikolskij, Antimins, pp. 59-60; Nikolskij, Ustav, pp. 815-823;
P.E. op. cit., no. 1, p. 71, no. 2, p. 75, no. 3, p. 66 ; Petrovskij, op. cit., col. 798.
For an English translation of the text of this ceremony, cfr. below, p. 285 ff.

88 This is the terminology used by the Sacred Congregation of Rites, cfr.
31 aug. 1867, ad 1, Deer. Auth., n. 3161 ; also Bliley, op. cit., pp. 13-14, 99-100.

89 Without going into many technical details, an Archimandrite is a title
given to the abbot of an important monastery or monasteries, while an Hegu-
menos, is an abbot of an ordinary monastery ; these titles are very often given as
merely honorary titles (similar to Latin Monsignor) to deserving religious (and
by abuse even to unmarried secular) priests. Archpriest (literally "First Priest" -
Protohiereus, Protopresbyter, Protopapas) is an honorary title (cfr. Monsignor
of Latin Rite) given to deserving diocesan (secular) married or unmarried priests.
Archimandrites and Archpriests are often mitred and have special liturgical
privileges. Some Archimandrites may confer minor orders. For more details,
cfr. CICO Fontes, serie II, fascicolo X (De Meester, De Monachico Statu Iuxta
disciplinam Byzantinam) pp. 195-197 and passim ; Leon Clugnet, "Les Offices
et les dignit6s ecclesiastiques dans l'Eglise grecque", Revue de VOrient Chritien,
III (1898), pp. 142-150, 260-264, IV (1899), pp. 116-128; Coussa, op. cit., I,
pp. 321, 345-356 ; Posposhil, Law on Persons, op. cit., pp. 57~6o.

90 Cfr. De Meester, op. cit., pp. I57» 210 » Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 797.

10 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

13°

to cathedrals or monastic churches. Among the Russians every
effort was made to obtain the highest church dignitaries for
the performance of the dedication ceremonies. The right of
dedicating churches by those minor prelates, however, was not
a permanent one, it was applied as a privilege, a delegation,
and performed with the Bishop's permission. The Bishops
would give it only when there was a sufficient reason and even
then they specified it exactly. The Metropolitan of Novgorod,
Alexander (1590), considered as a sufficient reason for sacerdotal
dedication, the great distance of the church from his see. The.
'sacerdotal dedication' was performed 'by an antimension..
This was a 'typically' Russian way of permitting a priest to
dedicate a church. From such dedication developed the 'sa-
cerdotal formulary'." 91

As Fr. Kiwitz notes, the dedication of a church (or chapel, oratory)
by a Priest (i.e. one not in episcopal orders, a "simple Priest") using an
antimension and a special ceremony is a principally Russian (or better,
Slavonic) innovation. The Greek compiler of the Pedalion criticizes this
practice :

"...the dedication ceremonies of every church building must
be performed by a prelate (i.e. bishop) in accordance with the
ordinance and representation of the Euchologion. Hence,
though in many regions the prelates allow others to perform
the dedication ceremonies connected with the consecration of
church buildings, as in fact, in Moscow the prelates allow archi-
mandrites to dedicate divine temples, this, I say, is done in
violation of the ordinance of the Euchologion. For everywhere
both the Euchologion and Symeon Archbishop of Thessalonica,
whenever they mention the subject of dedication, specify a
prelate or bishop, and not a mere priest. As for the small de-
dication (i.e. using the antimension), it is neither mentioned in
the Euchologion nor known in Moscow what it is. It appears
to be a later invention." 92

However, it seems that Theodore Balsamon (c. 1170) is not entirely
ignorant of this custom ; thus in his Commentary on the Seventh
Canon of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, he says :

"Some have asked why it is that today altars are conse-
crated without Relics and by simple Priests instead of by a
Bishop. To these it must be answered that this is done by means

Kiwitz, op. cit., pp. 57-58.
Pedalion (Cummings), p. 437.

I3i

of the antimensia which are consecrated by the Bishop when he
consecrated a Temple (church) and sent to Prayer Houses
(oratories) where they suffice for the consecration, i.e. the de-
dication, enthronization, inauguration and opening." 93

Furthermore, as Archimandrite Placidus De Meester points out, 94
many editions of the Greek Euchologion (deriving from former Venetian
editions) completely lack the ceremony for the consecration of a church
and carry instead only two short prayers to be used at the dedication of
a church ; 95 could it be possible that this "serious and incomprehensible
lacuna" is a witness to the time when, during the Turkish occupation of
Greece (XV to XIX century), the Greek Bishops were forbidden to con-
secrate new churches and perhaps had to delegate this faculty to Priests
to be done by means of an antimension ? 96 In any case, it should be
clear that here we are quibbling over the fact of whether or not there
should be a special ceremony for the dedication of a sacred place by means
of an antimension : the whole Byzantine tradition declares that the
antimension itself supplies for and furnishes the place with the same
sanctification as the episcopal consecration of a church, whether or not
a special ceremony for enthroning the antimension is used or not — such
a ceremony is a non-obligatory but very fitting outward sign.

2. Outside a Sacred Place

In regard to the circumstances under which the antimension may
be used as a portable altar outside of a chapel or oratory, Patriarch Nilos
of Constantinople says that it may be used by a Priest on behalf of the
Emperor when he travels, of troops on the march and other military
manoeuvers, and by solitaries in places where there are no churches. 97
Patriarch Matthew of Constantinople, writing to the Metropolitan of
Heraclea in January of the year 1400 A.D., 98 rules that a Priest may

93 P.G. 137 : 912.

94 De Meester, op. cit., p. 181.

95 E.g. the Roman edition of the ETXOAOriON TO MErA, pp. 458-
459 ; they are to be found also, with a translation from Greek into Latin, in Goar,
op. cit., pp. 653-655.

96 Goar, op. cit., p. 666 seems to intimate this.

97 Cfr. above, pp. 127-128.

98 Miklosich and Mueller, Acta et diplomata graeca, II, pp. 340-341 ;
Gedeon, op. cit., II, pp. 61-62.

132

celebrate the Divine Mysteries on an antimension in order to give Holy
Communion to a dying person or to the newly baptized, 99 or even from
motives of devotion in favor of the Emperor, Chorbishops, 100 Exarchs, 101
and missionary Priests while travelling and by Bishops with large dio-
ceses when they are making a visitation of their territories.

3. Symeon of Thessalonica (d. 1429) declares that a priest must
have permission to use the antimension as a portable altar : "It is not
lawful for Priests to use these (antimensia) for celebrating without the
permission of the Bishop." 102 Theodore Balsamon allows that he who
uses the antimension even illegitimately does not sin against the canons
forbidding the celebrating the Divine Mysteries outside of a consecrated
place. 103 Thus a Priest who uses an antimension without permission,

99 It is the Byzantine tradition to give, even to infants, all of the Sacra-
ments of Initiation together : Baptism, Chirsmation, (Confirmation, admin-
istered by the Priest), and Eucharist. That is why the antimension is mentioned
in connection with Baptism : the Baptism must take place in conjunction with
the Divine Liturgy in order that the neophyte may be communicated. Cfr. Er-
nest Benz, The Orthodox Church, London L Darton, Longman & Todd, 1962,
p. 73; Sokolof, op. ext., p. 119; Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church, Bal-
timor, Maryland : Penguin Books, 1963, p. 286 ; Nicholas Zernov, Eastern
Christendom, New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1961, p. 251.

100 Chorbishops were originally Bishops ordained for outlying country di-
stricts (from the Greek x^Pa meaning countryside) and were dependant upon
the supervision of the Bishop of the nearest large metropolis ; as a canonical
institute, it disappeared almost completely around the VIII c. due to the ine-
vitable disputes between the Chorbishops and the urban Bishops. It exists today
as a mere title of honor, for the most part, the cognate of the Latin Rite title of
Monsignor given to a Priest (one not in episcopal orders) among the Catholics of
the Syrian Rite, the Chaldeans and the Maronites, and among the Nestorians
and the Jacobites. Cfr. Attwater, A Catholic Dictionary , p. 93 ; Bertrand
Kutscheid, o.f.m., Historia Juris Canonici (reimpressio), Rome: Omcium Libri
Catholici, 1950, pp. 60-63, 257-263 ; Victor Posphil, Code of Oriental Canon
Law, The Law on Persons, Ford City, Pennsylavania : St. Mary's Ukrainian
Catholic Church (printed by "America", 817 N. Franklin Street, Philadelphia,
Pa.), i960, p. 208.

101 Exarchs are analogous to the Latin Rite Vicar Apostolic, and may
be either a Priest or a Bishop, cfr. Attwater, op. cit., p. 182 ; Pospishil, op.
ext., p. 166.

102 P.G. 155 : 333. Cfr. also : Beveridge, op. cit., P.G. 137 : 615 ; Bal-
samon, P.G. 137 : 613-616 ; Fontes CICO, serie II, fascicolo VII, n. 683, p. 211 ;
Nikolskij, Antimins, p. 99.

103 P.G. 138 : 965 : "For which reason, he who celebrates with an antimen-
sion, or baptizes in an oratory which has not been consecrated... or in a boat or

133

outside of the case of grave necessity, to celebrate, offends against obe-
dience but not against Canon 31 of the Council of Trullo 104 nor Canon 7
of the Second Council of Nicea 105 and does not become anticanonical
nor does he incur the penalties of deposition and infamy threatened in
these canons. In the same vein, Canon 97 of the canons attributed by
Cardinal Pitra to St. Nicephorus the Confessor, Patriarch of Constan-
tinople (806-815) states :

Can. 97 "One must not too hastily condemn a priest who,
using an antimension, has dared to sacrifice or to baptize in a
private place, in a home or on a boat, if the place was made
suitable 106 by the presence of Holy Ikons, since the clerics who
follow the Emperor celebrate the Divine Liturgy even in the
desert under a mere cotton tent erected for that purpose." 107

4. Who is the competent ecclesiastical authority to grant the Pri-
vilege of the Portable Altar using the antimension to a Byzantine Rite
Priest and what formalities are connected with act ? It would seem that
Byzantine rite Eparchs (diocesan Bishops) are the competent authorities
for granting this permission and that it is implied 108 in their consigning
an antimension to a particular Priest under their jurisdiction to keep for
his own use (i.e. not for the specific purpose of hallowing a particular
church or oratory) ; this may even be specified in the inscription on the
antimension. 109 Thus Theodore Balsamon says of antimensia "They are

in some small edifice destined for divine worship and adorned with Holy Ikons,
cannot be condemned as a transgressor of the canons." Cfr. also John Kitros,
P.G. 119 : 976.

104 Cfr. P.G. 137 : 612.

106 Cfr. P.G. 137 : 909-912, and above, p. 31.

106 Literally "made holy" ; no doubt this clause about the necessity of
Ikons was dictated by the struggle against the Iconoclasts.

107 pITRA> 0p, cit., II, p. 337. Cfr. below, Appendix I, p. 276, for original text.

108 Pedalion (Cummings«, p. 327 : "...the Priests who receive these (anti-
mensia) from Prelates, it would appear, by implication receive at the same time
also permission to celebrate the Liturgy with them..."

109 Petrides, EO, p. 200, reports inscriptions in Greek on two antimensia
which both mention "...so that the Holy Liturgy may be celebrated on it in all
the places of the Kingdom of Christ our God (i.e. everywhere)...". Petrovskij,
op. cit., col. 807, speaking about moveable antimensia used as portable altars,
says : ','The particular attributes of these antimensia are characterized many
times by inscriptions such as the following : 'for the celebration of the Liturgy in
any place whatsoever' (an antimension in the Bishop's residence at Kursk) ;

134

a witness of the Bishop's permission to celebrate the Liturgy in oratories
(i.e. unconsecrated places)." 110

St. Symeon of Thessalonica, as we have seen in the preceding para-
graph, requires the Bishop's permission for the use of the antimension as
a portable altar ; implied is the Bishop's competence to give this faculty.
Father Joseph Braun, s.j., speaking about the difference between the
Latin portable altar stone (i.e. materially considered, not the Privilege
of the Portable Altar) and the Byzantine antimension, after noting first
that the antimension, unlike the Latin portable altar stone is used even
on consecrated altars, states :

"Secondly, the Priest who has received from his Bishop an
antimension, may celebrate upon the same in any convenient
place, therefore even outside a church or blessed oratory, without
the need for any further particular permission from the Bishop.
This faculty is given once and for all simultaneously with the
reception of the antimension and by means of it." 111

Archimandrite Placidus De Meester, o.s.b., treating of the same
matter says :

"Outside of case of necessity, is the permission of the Bishop
necessary to celebrate on an antimension ?... In practice, out-
side of the cases of necessity and expediency already mentioned,112
this permission is at least tacitly granted by the Bishop, since
the priests must receive the antimension from his hands." 113

'to be used by the Holy Church in every place under her jurisdiction' (antimen-
sion in the Bishop's residence at Minsk) ; etc.". Cfr. also Nikolskij, Antimins,
pp. 61-80, 229-259 ; P.E., op. cit., no. 3, p. 67, Sciambra, loc. cit.

110 P.G. 137 : 616. Cfr. also Mirkovic, op. cit., p. 120 ; Petrovskij, op.
cit., col. 800.

111 Braun, op. cit., I, p. 92 : "Zweitens darf der Priester, dem der Bischof
ein Antiminsion gegeben hat, auf demselben an jedem passenden Orte, also aucb
ausserhalb der Kirche oder eines geweiten Oratoriums zelebrieren, ohne dass er
hierzu weiter noch einer besonderen bischoflichen Erlaubnis bediirfte. Ermach-
tigung hierzu ist ein fur alleman zugleich mit der t)bergabe des Antimisions und
durch dieselbe erteitl."

112 Cfr. the reasons given above, p. 133. Cfr. also De Meester, op. cit.,
pp. 161-162.

113 De Meester, op. cit., pp. 162-163 : "Fuori del caso di necessita, per
celebrare sopra un antiminsio e necessario il permesso del vescovo ?... In pratica,
oltre i casi di necessita e di convenienza teste esposti, tale permesso e almeno
tacitamente concesso dal vescovo, poiche i sacerdoti debbono ricevere l'antimin-
sio dalle sue mani."

135

Protopapas Joseph Ferrari traces the origin of this privilege :

"In the East, following the most ancient tradition according
to which one celebrates only on a consecrated linen, it was
considered as a natural, consequence that it was sufficient to
give to a Priest the faculty to take the episcopal altar Jinen
(antimension), authorizing him to use it to celebrate any-
where/' 114

In the report regarding the codification of Oriental Canon Law which
Archimandrite Cyril Korolevskij made to the Sacred Congregation for
the Oriental Churches, he states that (for a Bishop) :

"To give an antimension to a Priest is equivalent to granting
Jiim the Privilege of the Portable Altar : he may celebrate
anywhere as long as it is in a decent place." 115

5. In addition to the discipline peculiar to the Byzantine Church
just cited, there is recent legislation for the universal Catholic Church
apropos the antimension which throws some new light on this privilege
as regards those Orientals in union with the Apostolic See of Rome.
According to the provisions of the Motu Proprio Pastorale Munus 116

114 Ferrari, op. cit., p. 109 : "In Oriente, seguendo l'usanza antichissima,
per cui non si celebraba che sui lini consacrati, si giudico naturale che bastasse
dare facolta al Presbitero di prendersi il tovagliuolo episcopale, autorizzandolo
a celebrare con esso ovunque."

115 Cyril Korolevskij, "Greci e disciplina bizantina in generale, studio
sui canoni 801— 1011", 5. Congregazione Orientale, Codificazione Canonica Orien-
tate, Prot. N. 199/32, pp. 13-14 : "Dare l'antimensio ad un sacerdote equivale a
concedergli il privilegio della cappella privata ; egli pu6 celebrare ovunque pur-
che, sia in un luogo decente." (I have translated "il privilegio della cappella pri-
vata" by "Privilege of the Portable Altar" because that .seemed more intelligible
given the context : cfr. Welsh, op. cit., pp. 54-56). He suggests the canon 822,
3 : "Privilegium antimensii, vel tabulae portatilis, quando non ecclesiis sed pri-
vatis personis conceditur, ita intelligenda est ut secumfert facultatem ubique
celebrandi, honesto tamen ac decenti loco, numquam autem in cubiculo." and
adds : "Quando un Vescovo Orientale concede ad uno dei suoi sacerdoti il pri-
vilegio dell'antimensio, il beneficiario pu6 usarne anche fuori dell'eparchia, e
perche nel diritto canonico orientale detta concessione e riservata al Vescovo ed
oltrepassa le facolta di un Superiore religioso qualunque."

116 Official Latin text in AAS, 56 (1964). PP- 5~i2. English translation
(by Frederick R. McManus) in Jurist, 24, (1964)' PP- 99~io6.

136

promulgated by Pope Paul VI on November 30, 1963, which pertains
also to Oriental Bishops, 117 and lists :

"1. Faculties which belong to the residential Bishops by law
from the moment of his having canonically taken possession
of the diocese, but which cannot be delegated to others, except
to coadjutor and auxiliary Bishops and the vicar general unless
this is expressly mentioned in the faculties." 118

we find the following faculties :

"7. To grant to priests the faculty of celebrating Mass upon
a consecrated stone, outside of a sacred place, but in a place
that is becoming and decent, never in a bedroom, for a just
cause in individual cases, but habitually only for a graver
cause." 1,9

"8. Likewise, to concede the faculty of celebrating Mass for
a just cause at sea and on rivers, necessary precautions being
taken." 120

"9. To grant the faculty to priests who enjoy the indult of
the portable altar that, for a just and serious cause, they may
use in place of a consecrated stone a Greek antimension or a
cloth, 121 which has been blessed by a Bishop, and at the right
hand corner of which there are enclosed the relics of holy martyrs,
likewise examined by the Bishop, all else being observed in

117 Cfr. Bartholomaeus I. Belluco, o.f.m., Novissimae Ordinariorum Lo-
corum Facultates, Rome : Pontificium Athneum Antonianum, 1964, pp. 48-52.

118 Pastorale Munus, I : "Facultates quae iure Episcopi residentiali com-
petunt a momento canonice captae dioecesis possessionis, quas tamen aliis,
praeter quam Episcopis Coadiutori et Auxiliaribus atque Vicario Generale,
delegare non potest, nisi in iisdem expresse dicatur" : The list of faculties follow
this title. Cfr. Belluco, op. cit., pp. 27-52, for further commmentary. English
translation from McManus, op. ext., p. 99.

119 Pastorale Munus, I, 7 : "Concedendi sacerdotibus facultatem Missam
celebrandi extra locum sacrum, sed loco honesto et decenti, numquam autem in
cubiculo, super petra sacra, per modum actus ex iusta causa, habitualiter autem
solummodo ex causa graviore." Cfr. Belluco, op. cit., pp. 75-81. English tran-
slation from McManus, op. cit., p. 100.

120 Pastorale Munus, I, 8 : "Item, concedendi facultatem Missam ex iusta
causa celebrandi in mari et in fluminibus, debitis adhibitis cautelis." Cfr. Bel-
luco, op. cit., pp. 82-83. English translation from McManus, loc. cit.

121 The linteum, or linen cloth, here spoken of is the antimension latinum
or Latin Rite antimensium, of which we will speak below, pp. 173 ff.

137

accordance with the rubrics, 122 especially with regard to altar-
cloths and corporal." 123

This decree is directed to the universal Catholic episcopate, yet
only the faculty to celebrate extra loca sacra on a petra sacra is specifi-
cally mentioned among these new faculties ; this is an indirect confirma-
tion, at least as far as Catholic Orientals are concerned, that Byzantine
Bishops always had the right to give the faculty to celebrate extra loca
sacra but using the Byzantine antimension and therefore there is no
need to grant this anew through article 7 of Pastorale Munus 124 . It is
unthinkable that the legislator: a) would have wished to grant this
faculty to permit Priests to celebrate extra loca sacra only to Latin Bish-
ops ; or b) that he wished to grant this faculty to the Oriental Bishops
but with the proviso that they allow their (Oriental) Priests to celebrate
only on the petra sacra when celebrating extra loca sacra, especially when
enlarged faculties to make use of the Byzantine and Latin forms of the
antimension were given in article 9 of the same decree. Another indirect
argument confirming the claim of the Byzantine episcopate to this right
is the fact that in Cum Admotae (the next decree to be discussed), which
is a partial extention of the faculties of Pastorale Munus to Religious Su-
periors, we shall see that a new privelege of celebrating extra loca sacra
using the Byzantine antimension only, may be granted by certain Re-

122 I.e. the rubrics of the rite involved, not necessarily those of the Latin
Rite since this provision affects all bishops, not only Latin ones, and all their
subjects of whatever rite.

123 Pastorale Munus, O, 9 : "Concedendi facultatem sacerdotibus, indulto
altaris portatilis fruentibus, ut, iusta et gravi de causa, pro petra sacra adhibere
valeant Graecorum antimensium, vel linteum, ab Episcopo benedictum, in cuius
angulo dextro sint reconditatae reliquiae Sanctorum Martyrum, pariter ab Epi-
scopo recognitae, servatis de cetero servandis iuxta rubricas, praesertim quoad
tobaleas et corporale." Cfr. Belluco, op. cit., pp. 84-87. English translation
from McManus, loc. cit.

124 Or perhaps we may say that since this decree is directed to the uni-
versal Catholic episcopate, and since the Orientals ordinarily do not use the por-
table altar stone, the term petra sacra must here be interpreted as the portable
altar peculiar to the particular Rite ; antimension for Byzantines, wooden tablet
for Syrians, Copts, and Ethiopians, etc. In any case, we feel that the privilege
of the Byzantine Bishop to grant to his Priests the privilege of celebrating exit a
loca sacra using the antimension has been sufficiently clearly proven in the pre-
ceding pages even without the necessity of recourse to Pastorale Munus, except
as a merely corroborating testimony.

138

ligious Superiors to their Oriental subjects ; we may thus draw the con-
clusion that because only Byzantine Bishops, and never Religious Su-
periors, always had the right to grant this privilege to their Priests, it
was considered necessary to specifically mention this faculty in Cum
Admotae but not in Pastorale Munus.

According to article 9, a Byzantine Bishop could grant to his Latin
subjects already enjoying the Privilege of the Portable Altar given by the
Holy See of Rome, 125 permission to substitute either the Byzantine or
Latin antimension 126 for the petra sacra.

A Pontifical Rescript dated November 4, 1967, 127 and addressed
to "The Supreme Moderators of Clerical Religious Institutes iuris pon-
tificii and to Abbots President of Monastic Congregations," 128 delegates,
among others, the faculty :

"4. To concede to priests subject to them the faculty of ce-
lebrating Mass in a religious house outside a sacred place, but
in becoming and decent place, with the exception of a bedroom,
upon a sacred stone, or, if there is a question of Orientals, 129
upon an antimension. The faculty may be granted only per

125 Belluco, op. cit., pp. 86-87, believes that the grant of the Indult of
the Portable Altar must have been granted by the Holy See and not simply by
the bishop according to the provisions of Pastorale Munus, I, 7 ; but admits
that the opposite opinion is not altogether improbable. Cfr. also : L. Buijs, s.j.,
Facultates Religiosorum concessae Rescripto Pontificio diei 6 novembris 1964,
Rome : Pontificiae Universitas Gregoriana, 1965, pp. 47-49 ; Bartholomaeus
Belluco, o.f.m., Facultates Superiorum Religiosorum Rescr. Pont. d. 4 nov.
1964 concessae cum adnotationibus , Rome : Pontificium Athenaeum Antonia-
num, 1966, p. 62.

126 Cfr. footnote 117, p. 136, above.

127 The Rescript is dated November 4th, but in the first paragraph mention
is made that the Rescript was granted November 6th, 1967. The Latin text has
not been published in the AAS ; for Latin text cfr. Belluco, Facultates Supe-
riorum Religiosorum, pp. 9-17 ; Buijs, op. cit., pp. xv-xx. For English transla-
tion (by Frederick R. McManus) cfr. Jurist, 25 (1965), pp. 11 5-1 20. (Paulus VI,
Rescriptum Pontificium Cum Admotae, datum die 6 Novembris 1964, ed. altera
(with ammendations), Rome, Vatican Polyglot Press, 1965 ; also Belluco,
etc.).

128 Rescript Cum Admotae, I : "Supremis Moderatoribus Religionum cleri-
calium iuris Pontificii, et Abbatibus Praesidibus Congregationum Monasticarum
hae, quae subeunt, facultates delegantur." : cfr. McManus, op. cit., p. 115.

129 Since the word "Orientals' and not specifically "Byzantines" is used,
this faculty may be given to a Priest of any Oriental Rite, even to one to whom
the use of the antimension is not proper. Cfr. above, p. 137, note 124.

139

modum actus and for a just cause ; a more serious cause is re-
quired for regular celebration (de constanti celebratione) of
this kind.

This faculty they may subdelegate, with the consent of
their council, to other major superiors of the same religious
institute." 130

This Rescript is also for Oriental superiors :

"II, i. The aforementioned faculties pertain to Clerical Re-
ligious Institutes of Pontifical Rite (iuris pontificii) of whatev* r
rite, and dependent on whatever Sacred Congregation of th »
Apostolic See." 131

6. In regard to the Catholic Religious Superior granting permission
to a Byzantine Rite Priest-Monk 132 to celebrate on an antimension
outside of a sacred place, this is an innovation, for the fonts speak only
of the Bishop granting permission since it is from his hands that one
must receive the antimension. 133

130 Rescript Cum Admotate, I, 4 : "Concedendi sacerdotibus subditis suis
facultatem Missam celebrandi in domo religiosa extra locum sacrum, sed loco
honesto et decenti, excepto cubiculo, supra petram sacram, aut, si de Orienta-
libus agatur, supra antimension : quod concedit tantum potest per modum actus
et iusta de causa, si vero de constanti eiusmodi celebratione agatur, causa gravior
requiritur. Quam facultatem, de consensu sui Consilii, ceteris Superioribus Ma-
ioribus eiusdem Religionis subdelegare possunt." ; English translation from Mc
Manus, loc. cit.

131 Rescript Cum Admotate, II, 1 : "Facultates, de quibus supra, respi-
ciunt ad Religiones clericales iuris pontificii cuiuslibet ritus, e quavis sacra Con-
gregatione Apostolocae Sedis pendentes." ; for commentary, cfr. Belluco, Fa-
cultaes Superiorium Religiosorum, pp. 25-26; Buijs, op. cit., pp. 16-21.

132 In the Byzantine Rite, a Priest who is a Religious is called a Priest-
monk (Greek lepofxovaxog, Slavonic nepoMOHaxi>) whether or not he belongs to
a Religious Institute which would ordinarily be considered as monastic. Cfr.
Attwater, The Christian Churches of the East, vol. I, pp. 61, 222, vol. II, pp.
210-211 ; Brunello, op. cit., p. 557 ; CICO Fonti, serie II, fascicolo X, De Mo-
nachico Statu iuxta Disciplinam Byzantinam (Placidus De Meester), Rome : Va-
tican Polyglot Press, 1942, pp. 24, 67, 96 ; Oriente Cattolico, Cenni storici e sta-
tistiche, Citta del Vaticano : Sacra Congregazione per la Chiesa Orientale. iuo:.
p. 574 ; Posposhil, op. cit., pp. 238, 240. (Nikolskij, Ustav, p. 701).

133 Cfr. above, pp. 89 ff. However, since the consecration of an anti-
mension remains an episcopal function, the Priest-monk receives it at least
indirectly from the Bishop and the canonical principle involved, or at least the
liturgical symbolism, is thus preserved.

140

The Supreme Moderators and Abbots President 134 in question
would, in the Byzantine Rite, be those of the :

Studites (Ukrainian) 135

Basilians of St. Josaphat (Ukrainian) 136

Basilians of the Most Holy Saviour (Melkite Salvatorians) 137
Basilians of St. John the Baptist (Melkite Shuwairites) 138
Basilians of Aleppo (Melkite Aleppines) 139
and also the Abbot (Hegumenos) of an independent Monastery. 140

Latin Rite Supreme Moderators as noted, have the same power in
reference to their Oriental subjects. The same will hold for the other
Major Superiors (e.g. Provincials, Protohegumenos and those who have
the same type of power) 141 of Oriental Religious Institutes, and of Latin
Religious Institutes having branches or members in the Byzantine Rite
(e.g. Order of Friars Minor ; Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer ;
Society of Jesus), 142 if the Supreme Moderator, with the consent of his
Council (Synaxis), has so subdelegated these Superiors.

Thus, with permission from the competent Superior, the Byzantine
Priest-Monk may celebrate outside of the church or chapel and even
sub dio (in the open air) but within the walls of the monastery 143 or in

134 Cfr. CICO, Postquam Apostolicis, canon 312-314 ; Posposhil, op. ext.,
pp. 244 ; Belluco, Facilitates Superiorum Religiosorum, pp. 24-31 ; Buijs, op.
cit., pp. 15-16.

135 Attwater, op. cit., I, pp. 83-84, 211-212, Oriente Cattolico, op. cit.,
PP- 579-584-

136 Attwater, op. cit., I, pp. 83-84, 209-210 ; Oriente Cattolico, op. cit.,
pp. 584-585-

is? Attwater, op. cit., I, pp. 6o-6i, 209-210 ; Fortescue, op. cit., pp. 205-
208, 228-229 ; Oriente Cattolico, op. cit., pp. 595-599.

138 Attwater, loc. cit. ; Fortescue, loc. cit. ; Oriente Cattolico, pp. 599-603.
189 Attwater, loc. cit. ; Fortescue, loc. cit., pp. 603-604.

140 CICO, loc. cit., BuijS, op. cit., pp. 17-18 ; Posposhil, pp. 243-245.

141 Cfr. CICO, Postquam Apostolicis, can. 5, i° ; Belluco, op. cit., pp. 30-
31, 64 ; Buijs, op. cit., pp. 16-21, 32, 44.

142 Oriente Cattolico, op. cit., pp. 625-709 ; Posposhil, op. cit., p. 235.
The superior may be of the Latin or of one of the Oriental Rites, the subject,
however, must be a priest of the Byzantine Rite ; a bi-ritual subject may use the
antimension only when celebrating in the Byzantine Rite. Cfr. Ambrose Duffy,
The Use of the Portable Altar Extra Loca Sacra, Rome : Angelicum, 1966, p. 47.

143 Cfr. Belluco, op. cit., pp. 61-63.

I4I

the adjoining garden, 144 or in a house of Nuns or female Religious if
these are subject to the Superior of the Priest-Monk, 145 but always on
the Byzantine antimension and not on a Latin antimensium. 146 To ce-
lebrate using an antimension as a portable altar extra locum sacrum in
any other case, the Byzantine Priest-Monk must have permission from
the Bishop. 147

7. Our conclusions at this point are :

1) all Byzantine Rite Bishops enjoy the Privilege of the Portable
Altar using the antimension ;

2) a Priest of the Byzantine Rite does not enjoy this faculty unless
he obtains it by special permission ;

3) triis permission may be given to diocesan and religious Priests
of the Byzantine Rite by their local Bishop and may be used in any
place, even outside of the diocese of the Bishop who granted this per-
mission ;

4) this permission may be given to religious Priests of the Catholic
Byzantine Rite by the Supreme Moderator of their Religious Institute
and by the Major Superiors to whom this power has been sub-delegated,
but it may be used only within the religious houses under the jurisdic-
tion of these superiors ;

5) in regard to the manner of the conferral of this privilege, the
grant is implied in the fact that the Bishop or Religious Superior gives
the priest an antimension for his personal use.

C. The Antimension and Persons Not in Major Sacred Orders

Because of the respect due, according to the Byzantine mystique,
to a consecrated object so intimately connected with the celebration of
the Divine Liturgy, and because of the possibility (often verified) oi
particles of the Sacred Eucharist remaining within the folded antimen-
sion, the antimension should not be handled by, nor left in the care of,
the laity and clerics of hierarchical grade inferior to the diaconate.

144 Cfr. Buijs, op. cit., p. 42.
146 Ibidem.

146 Ibidem. Cfr. also Belluco, op. cit., p. 62 ; Duffy, loc. cit.

147 Cfr. Belluco, op. cit., p. 63.

I42

St. Symeon of Thessalonica states in this regard :

"They (antimensia) must not be left in any home, nor may
they be touched by the laity, for this is neither fitting nor ne-
cessary. They are meant for the celebration of the Holy Myste-
ries and therefore pertain to the priests, without whom there
canbe no such celebration/' 148

Ferrari explains the practical reasons, after deriving the antimen-
sion from the cloth used by the early christians upon which to celebrate
the Holy Sacrifice :

"It is easy to visualize the greatest reverence with which
this cloth became surrounded, not only because it had imme-
diate contact with the Eucharistic Bread, but also because
there often remained on it small fragments (of the Eucharist).
This explains the reason for the red silk cloth (eileton) which is
used to wrap it and the reason why the discipline of the By-
zantine Church forbids even the minor clerics 149 to touch or
carry the antimension. It is explicitly prescribed that this
sacred cloth, even when placed in a burse, be carried by a Priest
or Deacon." 150

We have seen above, 151 that Bulgakov also notes that only a
Priest or Deacon may carry an antimension, even when it is protected
by the elaborate carrying case which he describes as prescribed in the
Russian Orthodox Church.

*« P.G. 155 : 333-

149 Minor clerics include Subdeacons (Hypodeacons) in the Byzantine Rite.
Cfr. Placidus De Meester, Studi sui Sacramenti Amministrati Secondo il Rito
Bizantino, Rome : Edizioni Liturgiche, 1947, pp. 243-244, 249-252 ; Posposhil,
Code of Oriental Canon Law, Law on Persons, op. cit., pp. 55-56, 306. This is
also the tone of canon 40 of the Motu Proprio Cleri Sanctitati of Pope Pius XII,
June 2, 1958.

150 Ferrari, op. cit., pp. 105-106 : "£ facile immaginarsi la venerazione
grandissima, di cui veniva circondata questo tovagliuolo, non soltanto perch6
aveva immediato contatto con il Santo Pane, ma anche perche era facile rima-
nessero dei piccoli frammenti. Ecco il perche della fodera di seta rossa che l'av-
volge ed ecco perche la disciplina della Chiesa Bizantina fa divieto perfino ai
ministri inferiori di toccare o portare rAvTifzivmov. E tassativamente prescritto
che il S. Tovagliuolo, anche se dentro una borsa, sia trasportato dal Sacerdote o
dal Diacono."

161 See above p. 110, where Bulgakov, op. cit., pp. 709-710, is
translated.

We have mentioned 152 that antimensia were often given to Em-
perors, Generals, and important or especially deserving pious persons
on voyage, but even in this case, these sacred objects would be in the
care of the clerics in the entourage of these personages ; it would make
little sense to travel with an antimension if there were no Priest to use it
for the benefit of the lay recipient.

Petrovskij reports concerning the Russian Orthodox Church :

"In 1722, an Imperial Ukaz (decree) ordered the suppresion
of all domestic oratories already existing in the families of
important personages and the restitution of all antimensia to
the Holy Synod." 153

Bishop Nikodemos Milasch, 154 noting that even today in the Greek
Church it is forbidden for laics and minor clerics including Hypodeacons
(Subdeacons) to touch the antimension, refers this injunction to canon 21
of the topical Council of Laodicea (380 A.D.), 155 subsequently incorpo-
rated in the official collections 156 of the Canons of the Councils :

"Canon XXI : Minor clerics 157 must not have any place in
the Diaconicum 158 nor touch the sacred vessels." 159

152 Cfr. above, pp. 127 also Petrides, EO, p. 198.

153 Petrovskij, op. ext., col. 807.

154 Nikodemos Milasch and Alexander Pessic, Das Kircherecht der
Moregenlandischen Kirche (2nd ed.), Mostav : Pacher und Kisic, 1905. P- 57-
Cfr. also Lubeck, op. ext., p. 409.

155 The exact date is disputed, but it may be placed in the middle of the
IV century. Cfr. Amleto Giovanni Cardinal Cicognani, Canon Law (authorized
English version by Joseph O'Hara and Francis Brennan), Philadelphia : The
Dolphin Press, 1934, P- I76 : "Tne Council of Laodicea in Pacatian Phrygia (Asia
Minor) 380 (the date is disputed), enacted 59 or 60 canons that have been famous
in the history of discipline and Liturgy." ; and Pedalion (Cummings), p. 551
which places it in the year 364.

156 And confirmed by canon 2 of the VI Ecumenical Council (III Con-
stantinople, 680-681), cfr. Cicognani, op. ext., p. 173 ; Pedalion (Cummings),
pp. 294. 309, 551, 561-562.

157 Cfr. above, p. 142, note 149.

158 The Diakonikon (Greek meaning "pertaining to the Deacon") is a
place, analogous to the Latin Rite Sacristy, where the liturgical vestments, vessels,
and books are kept ; however, it is actually (or should be) a division of the sanc-
tuary (Bema). It is under the charge of the Deacon. Cfr. Attwater, A Catholic
Dictionary, op. ext., p. 147 ; Raes, Introductio in Liturgiam Orientalem, op. cit.,
p. 36; Salaville, op. cit., pp. 111-112. Pedzlion (Cummings), pp. 562-563.

159 Pedalion (Cummings), p. 561.

i44

Archimandrite Placidus De Meester seems more liberal in his in-
terpretation :

"The Antimension may not be touched by laics without ne-
cessity or utility. 160 For this reason, the Priest must not leave
it in private dwellings, but must conserve it at his own home
and under his own custody." 161

We may therefore conclude that in order to avoid exaggerations,
and especially with modern theological and liturgical currents of thought
against excessive sacralization 162 that when it is necessary or useful,
trustworthy minor clerics and laics may, with due precautions (such as
a careful examination of the antimension to ascertain that it contains no
particles of the Sacred Eucharist, and that is be suitably wrapped in its
eileton and placed in a fitting container), be charged with the transpor-
tation of antimensia or with the custody of the same. We may note
here that antimensia are often sent by the Sacred Congregation for the
Oriental Churches and by Bishops by registered mail to places where
they are needed and are therefore handled (in their containers) by the
ordinary postal officials.

160 Italics are my own.

161 De Meester, op. ext., pp. 163-164.

162 Cfr. Abbot Primas Most Rev. Rembert G. Weakland, o.s.b., "Worship
in a Secular World", IDO-C (International Documentation on the Conciliar
Church, Via S. Maria dell'Anima, 30, Rome), February 20, 1968, no. 68-11.

PART TWO

THE ANTIMENSION IN THE LITURGICAL
AND CANONICAL TRADITION OF THE LATIN CHURCH

ii - J. M. Izzo - The Aniimension

SECTION I

THE BYZANTINE ANTIMENSION
AS USED BY LATIN RITE CLERICS

Unfortunately, the use of the Greek Antimension (sometimes re-
ferred to improperly in documents as the "Greek Corporal" 1 and even
"a veil containing some relics" 2) by Priests of the Latin Rite has a long
and unhappy history which culminated in the inclusion in Pian-Benedic-
tan Code of Canon Law a clause in Canon 823, paragraph 2 forbidding
this inter-ritual use :

'Tf there is no altar of his own Rite, a Priest may celebrate
on a consecrated altar of another Catholic Rite, following his
own Rite in the celebration of Holy Mass, but, however, not
on the Byzantine antimension." 3

Thus, a Byzantine Rite Catholic Priest may, in a Latin Rite Church
celebrate on an altar that is composed of a fixed table with a portable
altar stone in the center, 4 but a Latin Rite Priest may not celebrate the

1 Cfr. James Godley, Time and Place for the Celebration of Mass, Wa-
shington, D.C. : The Catholic University Press (Canon Law Studies no. 275),
1948, p. 172 ; Joseph Arthur Henry, The Mass and Holy Communion : Inter-
ritual Law, Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press (Ca-
non Law Studies no. 235), 1946, p. 72. This name is connected, no doubt, with
the slight superficial similarity to the Roman corporal, or more likely to the use
of the antimension as a corporal ; cfr. above, pp. 1 10-124.

2 Cfr. Thomas J. Welsh, The Use of the Portable Altar, Washington,
D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press, (Canon Law Studies no. 305),
1950, P- 94- Also below, pp. I75-J79-

3 Can. 823, § 2. Deficiente altari proprii ritus, sacerdoti fas est ritu pro-
prio celebrare in altare consecrato alius ritus catholici, non autem super Grae-
corum antimensis.

4 "Altare ad modum fixum" ; cfr. Bliley, op. cit., p. 13 ; it is called a
"stable altar" by J. B. O'Connell, Church Building and Furnishing, the Church's

148

Latin Mass in a Byzantine Rite Catholic church which uses the same
arrangement of fixed table but with the antimension instead of portable
altar stone ; it is natural that the Byzantines take offence and feel that,
notwithstanding all the declarations of the Holy See that all Rites in
the Catholic Church are equal, 5 an ancient and venerable institution of
theirs, namely the antimension, has been slighted and considered inferior
to its cognate (the petra sacra) in the Latin Rite. 6 A cursory glance into
the history of Canon 823, paragraph 2 will help to clarify matters so-
mewhat.

Way, London : Burs & Oates (Cardinal Books), 1955, pp. 146-147 and above,
p. 14, n. 4 ; below p. 154.

5 Cfr. Pope Benedict XIV, Etsi Pastoralis, CIC Fontes, I, n. 328, pp.
734-735 ; II Vatican Council, Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite,
(Orientalium Ecclesiarum) , nn. 3, 5, 6. Pope Benedict XV said : "The Church
of Jesus Christ is neither Latin nor Greek nor Slav but Catholic ; accordingly
she makes no difference between her children, and Greeks, Latins, Slavs, and
members of all other nations are equal in the eyes of the Apostolic See."

6 Thus Henry Hoffman, "De Benedicti XIV Latinisationibus in Con-
stitutione 'Etsi Pastoralis' et 'Inter Multa'," Ephemerides Iuris Canonici, IV
(1948), p. 21 : "Quod ad altaria, usu interrituali adhibenda, attinet, decisio fit
in disgratiam graeci, in favorem ac praeferentiam latini ritus ; scilicet bene erit,
si Graeci velint accipere altaria portabilia ab Episcopus latinis consecrata ; latinis
vero sacerdotibus, rito latino in Graecorum ecclesiis celebrantibus... super anti-
mensiis seu thronis Graecorum sacrum facere non licet ; ergo manifesta praefe-
rentia altaris latini, restrictio offensiva hac decisione pro Graecis ostenditur.
Nota bene expressionem 'tolerentur... antimensia' gustum alicuius mali, pro
tempore atque aegre admittendi, donee alia solutio inveniri possit, sumptam
turn in se turn in constitutione Etsi Pastoralis praeseferre."

CHAPTER ONE

PRIOR TO THE PIAN-BENEDICTAN CODE OF CANON LAW

In the use of the Byzantine Rite antimension by Latin Rite priests
before the^Code of Canon Law initiated in the pontificate of Pope St.
Pius X and promulgated by Pope Benedict XV on May 27, 1917, we
must distinguish, with Father Amanieu :

"May Latin Priests celebrate the Mass on (Byzantine) anti-
mensia ? This question poses itself in two different sets of
circumstances, and was resolved in (two) diverse manners." 1

That is, the Byzantine Rite antimension as used by Priests of the
Latin Rite in a) Latin Rite territories, and b) Byzantine Rite territories.

I. In Latin Rite Territories

In Italy, the provinces of what are now called Calabria and Apulia,
together with Sicily, and thus almost all of southern Italy, are known
historically, because of the Hellenic colonies and influence there, dating
back several centuries before the Christian Era, as Magna Graecia. -
The inhabitants of these parts, especially those of the Byzantine Rite,

1 Amanieu, op. cit., col. 587 : "Les pretres latins peuvent-ils celebrer la
messe sur les antimenses ? La question se posa en raison de deux circonstances
diflterentes, et fut resolue de diverses manieres."

2 Cfr. Attwater, op. cit., I, pp. 65-67 ; Borgia, op. cit., passim ; Adrian
Fortescue, The Uniate Eastern Churches : The Byzantine Rite in Italy, Sicily,
Syria and Egypt, New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1923. pp. 47-
183 ; Oriente Cattolico {Cenni Storici e Statistiche) , (III ed.) Rome (Vatican) :
Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches, 1962, pp. 225-231. 5-4 579
Sciambra, op. cit., passim.

J5o

are called "Italo-Greeks", "Italo- Albanians", or more accurately "Italo-
Greek- Albanians." 3 Of these, Father Adrian Fortescue says :

"The name Italo-Greek (Italo-Graecus) is a convenient one
now commonly used for the inhabitants of Italy or its islands
(Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica), who use the Byzantine Rite in Greek.4
It denotes, therefore, a liturgical distinction, not one of race.
As a matter of fact, the Italo-Greeks consist of three different
races. There are the original Greek-speaking inhabitants of
Lower Italy and Sicily. These had nearly become latinized by
the fifteenth century, when their rite was much fortified, almost,
one might say, revived, by an immigration of Albanians. Lastly,
there are later immigrations and colonies of Levantines in
these parts, though many of these people are Orthodox, and
so do not enter into our scheme. " 5

To recapitulate the history of the Italo-Greek-Albanians in the
summary fashion germane to a work of the present scope, we may say
that there were Christian communities in these parts from at least the
second century A.D., although some communities consider themselves
as apostolic foundations, 6 and that Roman and Byzantine usages existed
side by side, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction being that of Rome. In the
VIII century, the Iconoclast Emperor Leo III the Isaurian (Emperor
717-741), began to subject by force these territories to the hegemony
of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and metropolitan sees were erected
at Naples, Syracuse, and elsewhere. In regard to the attitude of the Holy
See to this matter, Mr. Donald Attwater says :

"To avoid disputes the popes accepted the situation. But
the conquest by the Normans of southern Italy, begun in 1017,
and then of Sicily (at that time in Saracen hands), removed
the possibility of these Greek churches following Constantinople
into schism 7 and they came again under the immediate juris-
diction of the pope, as they have ever since remained." 8

2. With Norman influence, latinization became rampant, whole
eparchies (dioceses) being suppressed, parishes turned Latin, and mo-
nasteries became decadent due to lack of Greek Rite trained personnel. 9

3 Cfr. Attwater, op. cit., I, p. 65.

4 Fortescue wrote in 1923 ; since that time the vernacular (Albanian and
Italian) has been coming into use.

5 Fortescue, op. cit., p. 47.

6 Cfr. Acts 28 : 11-14.

8 Attwater, op. cit., I, pp. 65-66.

i5i

3. After the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, the suc-
cessive subjection of the Balkans, Greece, and Albania to the Turkish
yoke caused a great influx of Byzantine Rite refugees to settle in southern
Italy and Sicily. It is at this point that the problem of the Byzantine
Rite antimension being used by the Latin Rite clergy begins to make
itself felt.

The main difficulty seems to have been that some of these Greek
Rite settlers were judged by the local Latin Rite ecclesiastical authorities,
sometimes justly and sometimes unjustly, as being of "schismatic
tendencies". We would do well to remember the remark of Attwater :

"From before 1600 the Byzantines were subject to the local
(Latin Rite) Ordinaries, who encouraged them (to put it mildly)
to join the Latin Rite... To the average Western Bishop of
those days, Eastern subjects were a nuisance, and at least
suspect of heresy all the time. That Orientals have as much
right to their "peculiarities" as Latins have to theirs did not
occur to them : the popes, indeed, seem to have been the only
ones who never lost sight of this." 10

Nevertheless, it remains true that some of these Byzantine refugees
having accepted the jurisdiction of the Pope of Rome under the duress
of otherwise being refused asylum, still cast longing glances in the direc-
tion of the Patriarch of Constantinople. 11 They sometimes hedged about
making a formal profession of faith in the terms set down by Rome,
refused to accept the Chrism consecrated by Latin Ordinaries 12 obtaining
their own from Bishops in the East not in formal union with Rome,

9 It is difficult to ascertain exactly how much of the Greek Rite remained
after the Normans and before the new influx of immigration.

10 Ibidem.

11 Cfr. Fortescue, op. cit., p. 137, where he remarks concerning the Greeks
in Venice : "It is not difficult to understand this. The colony (of Greeks) was
being constantly reinforced by new arrivals from the East ; these brought with
them the ideas of their homes. Then, surrounded by the Venetian Latins, the
exiled Greeks all the more clung to their own nationality ; of this nationality the
Patriarch of Constantinople, whether he be a Uniate or not, is always the great
representative."

12 Cfr. Fortescue, op. cit., p. no, perhaps this was because they preferred
the fragrant Sacred Myron (Chrism) proper to their Rite while that of the Latins
seemed to be plain olive oil (the balsam added to Latin Chrism at its consecration
usually does not give the penetrating fragrance of the 50 or 60 spices of the
Byzantine Myron). We may note in passing, for the information of our Oriental

152

their clergy went to the Greek Orthodox to be ordained, etc. 13 In Fact,
when the Risorgimento unilaterally abolished the Pope's sovereignty
over the Papal States, etc., the majority of the Greeks who had by this
time settled in Venice, Ancona and Naples took advantage of this op-
portunity and broke their communion with Rome. 14 Without going into
the questions of the ecclesiology and morality involved, we wish simply
to point out here the real or imagined ambiguous position of some of
the Byzantine settlers apropos their loyalty for the Apostolic See of
Rome and their actual practices in this regard.

We have seen above 15 that the antimension is considered as a
kind of celebret and participation in the apostolic succession of the Bish-
op who consecrated it ; to use it is a type of Communicatio in Sacris.
Father Cyril Korolevskij puts it succinctly, in speaking of this pro-
blem which was to leave its traces in the Pian-Benedictan Code of
Canon Law :

"The Codex Juris Canonici (can. 823) forbids Priests of the
western rites to celebrate on an antimension, while it is licit for
any oriental Priest to celebrate on the Latin Rite portable altar
stone (petra sacra). This prohibition is a survival from the XVI
century, when there were many Greeks and Albanians in Italy,
many times without fixed abode and of a Catholic faith which
was either not secure or altogether doubtful ; celebrating on
their antimensia was consequently considered as a communion
in sacred things (Communicatio in Divinis) with heretics, and
therefore forbidden." 16

brethren, that since 1970, the Latin Church may add, as they do, other aromatic
substances in preparing the material of the Sacred Chrism "oleo et aromatibus,
seu materia odifera". Cfr. Ordo Benedicendi Oleum Catechumenorum et Infirmo-
rum et Conficiendi Chrisma, promulgated by the S. Congregation for Divine
Worship, December 3, 1970. Cfr. above, p. 66, note 47.

13 Cfr. Fortescue, op. cit., pp. 110, 120, 177, passim.

14 Ibidem, pp. 135-145.

15 p. 58.

16 Korolevskij, EI, op. cit., p. 498 : "II Codex Juris Canonici (can. 823)
vieta ai sacerdoti dei riti occidentali di celebrare sull'antimensio, mentre invece
e lecito a qualsiasi sacerdote orientale di celebrare sulla pietra sacra dei Latini.
Questo divieto h una sopravvivenza del sec. XVI, quando si trovavano in Italia
numerosi Greci o Albanesi, spesse volte senza dimora fissa e di fede cattolica non
sicura o del tutto dubbia ; la celebrazione su loro antimensi era pertanto consi-
derata come una communione nelle cose sacre {communicatio in divinis) con ere-
tici, e percio proibita."

153

There were antimensia in circulation in southern Italy which had
been consecrated by Bishops pertaining to the jurisdiction of the Pa-
triarch of Constantinople and therefore not in official communion with
the Pope of Rome.17 It was not long before the Roman Pontiffs took cogni-
zance of this situation, since it was an important matter, in the documents
which they issued concerning their Byzantine Rite subjects in Italy.

4. The first official Papal document which mentions the antimension
seems to be that of Pope Clement VIII (Ippolito Aldobrandini - reigned
1592-1605) who on August 31, 1595 issued the Instruction Sanctissimus,
in which he says :

"If the Greeks wish to accept portable altars consecrated
by Latin Bishops, it would be well ; if they do not wish to do
so, their Thrones' 18 may be tolerated as well as their custom 19
of placing these Thrones' upon (consecrated) stone altars when
they celebrate. They should use Corporals 20 like the Latins,
unless they use their Thrones' also as Corporals. " 21

5. The next time that we hear of this specific canonical problem is
more than a century later in the Constitution Etsi Pastoralis, promulgated
May 26, 1742, by the great canonist-Pope Benedict XIV (Prospero
Lambertini, reigned 1740-1758) who, without citing his source, uses
almost verbatim the words of Pope Clement VIII, while adding some
new directives :

"XVII. If the Greeks wish to accept portable altars con-
secrated by Latin Bishops, it would be well ; if they do not
wish to do so, the placing of their antimensia, 22 or thrones,
on stone altars when they celebrate, may be tolerated.

17 Cfr. Sciambra, op. cit., pp. 97-98.

18 Cfr. above, pp. 24-25, 39, 126.

19 Which seems to have scandalized the Latins at the Council of Florence
(1439-1445) when the Greeks used their antimensia on the Latin consecrated
altars. Cfr. S. Syropoulos, vera Historia Unionis Non Vera (ed. Greyghton),
pars XI, cap. 4, p. 318 ; and Gill, Council of Florence, p. 82.

20 For antimension used as Corporal, cfr. above, pp. 1 10-124.

21 Directed to the Italo-Greek-Albanians ; CIC Fontes, I, no. 17Q, 2,
p. 344 : "Si Graeci velint accipere altaria portatilia ab Episcopis Latinis con-
secrata, bene erit ; sin minus, tolerentur eorum throni, sive throni super Altaria
lapidea ponendi cum celebrant. Corporalia uti Latini habeant, nisi thronis etiam
pro corporalibus utantur."

22 This use of the word antimensia, a minor change from the text of Cle-
ment VIII, seems to be the first instance in a Papal document.

154

XVIII. They should use Corporals like the Latins, unless
they use their thrones also as Corporals.

XIX. It is not lawful for a Latin Priest celebrating in the
Latin Rite in churches of the Greek Catholics, if he lacks his own
portable altar stone, to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass on
the antimensia, or thrones, of the Greeks.

XX. Every Priest must celebrate with a chalice of gold, or
only silver or at least tin (pewter ?), using a Throne or Cor-
poral of linen, 23 white and clean, and an altar covered with
clean altar-cloths or with decently prepared ornamental covr-
ing." 24

Thus, it is in the Constitution of Benedict XIV that we find the
first prohibition emanating from a Roman Pontiff and therefore con-
stituting Canon Law for those whom it concerns, 25 for Latin Priests to
celebrate in Byzantine Rite churches using the Byzantine antimension.
The question here is of unconsecrated fixed altars, or rather "stable
altars" ("quasi-fixed"), 26 i.e. tables or altar-like structures of wood,
masonry, or stone, which are not consecrated themselves, but rather
have, in the Latin Rite, a consecrated tablet of stone (the petra sacra,
portable altar sone) placed upon them or in a recess let into ther surface
of the mensa, under the altar cloths, or in the Byzantine Rite, the con-
secrated cloth antimension furnished with relics, placed under the altar

23 Whether or not the antimension must be of linen (cfr. above, pp. 33-37),
or only the Corporal is problematical ; Amanieu, op. cit., col. 588 says catego-
rically, in summarizing this Constitution of Benedict XIV : "Enfin, aucun pretre
ne puvait celebrer sans ces antimenses ou un corporal, et l'antimense, comme
le corporal, devait etre de lin."

24 Directed to the Italo-Greek-Albanians ; CIC Fontes, I, no. 328, VI,
De Sacramento Eucharistiae et Missae Sacrificio, nn. 16-20, p. 744 :

"XVII. Si Graeci velint accipere Altaria portatilia ab Epsicopis Latinis
consecrata, bene erit ; sin minus, tolerentur eorum antimensia, sive Throni,
super Altaria lapidea ponendi, cum celebrant.

"XIX. Latinis Presbyteris Latino ritu in Graecorum Catholicorum Ec-
clesiis celebrantibus, si careant proprio Altari portatili lapideo, super Antimensiis,
seu Thronis Graecorum Sacrum facere non licet.

"XX. Unusquisque Sacerdos in aureo, vel argenteo solum, aut saltern
stanneo Calice sacrificet, habens Thronos, seu Corporale de lino, candidum, et
nitidum, et Altare mundis vestimentis opertum, vel decenti paratu ornatum."

25 Cfr. Amleto Giovanni Cardinal Cicognani, Canon Law (authorized
English version by Joseph O'Hara and Francis Brennan), Philadelphia : The
Dolphin Press, 1934, P- 735-

26 Cfr. above, p. 104, n. 4, p. 148, n. 4.

155

cloths or on top of the altar cloths. 27 This prohibition, as we will see,
was repeated for the Italo-Greek-Albanian parts of southern Italy (even
though wide particular concessions were made for the Byzantine-Slavonic
Rite territories in what is now Poland and the U.S.S.R. in the Consti-
tution Imposito Nobis (March 29, 175 1) and in the Encyclical Letter
Allatae Sunt (July 26, 1755) of the same Roman Pontiff Benedict XIV, 27a
and became the basis for Canon 823, § 2 of the Pian-Benedictan Code of
Canon Law. 28 The Supreme Pontiff explains the reasons for this le-
gislation in his Constitution Imposito Nobis, which is almost entirely
concerned with the inter-ritual use of the Byzantine antimension and
Latin portable altar stone :

"5. It was never the mind of the Latin Church that the
rites of the Greeks be destroyed but rather instead that they
should always be preserved insofar as is possible, and their ob-
servance was urged upon the Greek Faithful ; Never was the
celebration of Mass by the Greek Catholics upon their antimensia
disapproved, but rather was this practice expressly declared as
permitted, and this not only in the Orient 29 but also among
the Italo-Greeks, as may be seen both from the Instruction 30
edited by our Predecessor of happy memory, Pope Clement VIII,
as well as Our own Constitution Etsi Pastor alis..." .

"6. However, in those regions where the Italo-Greeks now are,
Latins also frequently live and in the same locale there are
churches of both Rites so that, without any difficulty, and with-
out serious inconvenience, Priests of each Rite can use their
own churches. Thus there is no plausible reason for permitting
Latin Priests in these parts to celebrate Mass, contrary to the
constant discipline of the Latin Church, 31 without consecrated

27 Cfr. above, pp. 116 ff.
27* Cfr. below, pp. 158 ff.

28 Cfr. footnote 4 of Can. 823, 2. Together with a Response from the Holy
Office of June 7, 1726, CIC Fontes, IV, no. 786, p. 65 (or Collectanea S. Congre-
gationis de Propaganda Fide, Rome : Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana, 1893, no.
827, p. 306) : "S.C.S. Officii, 7 iunii 1726 - Se sia lecito ai sacerdoti latini di ce-
lebrare secondo il loro rito, ma senza l'altare portatile di pietra nelle chiese ed
altari dei greci uniti, che sono di tela consagrata (sic) dal vescovo greco con 11 n-
zioni e con reliquie, mentre dai greci si celebra liberamente nelle chiese ed altari
di pietra dei latini. R. Non licere."

29 I.e. in Byzantine territories outside of Italy and Sicily.

30 Instruction Sanctissimus cited above, p. 153.

31 This remains problematical because from time immemoral, the Popes of
Rome have celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass upon a wooden altar, the High

156

stone altar tablets using instead the antimensia of the Greeks ;
We forbade this practice in our above-cited Constitution, 6,
no. 19." 32

Pope Benedict XIV goes on to explain that this situation apropos
the use of the antimension by Latin Priests is not verified where Latins
live in predominantly Byzantine territories, and under this entirely dif-
ferent set of circumstances, the problem of the antimension was resolved
in an altogether different manner. But this belongs to the material of
our next section.

II. In Byzantine Rite Territories

The lands figuring in the history of the problem of the anti-
mension in territories of the Byzantine Rite were mostly in Eastern
Europe and what is now the U.S.S.R., amongst Poles, Ukrainians, Byelo-
russions, 33 and Russians (and even Slovaks and Hungarians), all of
whom were grouped indifferently by the Latin ecclesiastical documents
of the time under the name "Ruthenians" (Latin Ruteni or Rutheni). 34

or Papal Altar of the Patriarchal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, "Mater et
Caput Omnium Ecclesiarum" ; this altar is a wooden table supposedly dating
from the time of St. Peter but nevertheless very ancient. At present, it is en-
cased in marble but the wooden upper surface has been left exposed as well as
part of the front, and the Pope celebrates directly upon (using the customary
altar cloths and corporal, naturally) this wooden table top. Cfr. photograph in
Appendix II, p. 314.

32 CIC Fontes, II, no. 410, §§ 5 & 6 :

" 5. Quum vero numquam Ecclesiae Latinae mens fuerit, ut Graecorum
Ritus destrueret, quin potius eorum semper conservationis, quantum fas esset,
nec non eorumdem apud Graecos Fideles observantiae prosperexit ; numquam
proinde Missarum celebrationem, quae super huiusmodi Antimensiis a Graecis
Catholicis fit, improbabit ; sed earn, et quidem non in partibus Orientis dumtaxat,
verum etiam inter Italo-Graecos, permitti expresse declaravit ; ut videre licet
turn in Institutione (sic) per fel. rec. Praedecessorem nostrum Clementem Pa-
pain VIII edita, turn in nostra Constitutione, quae incipit : Etsi Pastoralis, Bul-
lari nostri torn. I, Constit. 57, § 6, num. 17.

"6. Quum vero in iis Regionibus, in quibus Italo-Graeci sunt, Latini quo-
que frequentes habitent, atque ibidem tarn unius, quam alterius Ritus Ecclesiae
adsint, ita ut absque ullo impedimento, et sine grave incommodo unusquisque
Presbyter proprii Ritus Ecclesiam adire valeat ; nulla sane causa est, ob quam
Latinis earum partium Presbyteris permitti debeat, contra constantem Ecclesiae
Latinae disciplinam, sine Sacrata Altaris Lapidea Tabula Missas celebrare, easque

157

1. There had been a constant interest of Latin Rite missionaries
in these parts working for the restoration of official communion with the
Roman See among the Byzantine Orthodox and serving the Latin Rite
communities of faithful. With the "Union of Brest-Litovsk" (Lituania),
the Metropolitanate of Kiev and five eparchies (dioeceses) entered into
official communion with the Apostolic See of Rome, and successive
acts of union brought considerable numbers of Byzantine-slavonic Rite
clergy and faithful into the jurisdiction of the Roman Church. The fact
of having Latin Rite priests and especially missionaries living in pre-
dominantly Byzantine Rite ambients brought up anew, albeit with the
interritual situation reversed (i.e. a minority of Latins among a majority
of Byzantines, instead of vice-versa as among the Italo-Greek- Albanians),
the problem of the Byzantine antimension as used by Latin Rite Priests
for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

2. Pope Benedict XIV reviews this situation 35 in his above-
mentioned Constitution of March 29, 1751, Imposito Nobis, and notes the
difficulties encountered by Latin Priests in transporting or importing
Latin altar stones and the danger of breakage of the same ; if they adhere
strictly to the current discipline of the Latin Church regarding the pro-
hibition to celebrate on the Byzantine antimension, they will either have
to go long periods without celebrating Holy Mass or be constrained not
to leave those territories where they can easily find churches of the Latin
Rite, and in the latter case there will be communities of Latin Rite faithful
distant from churches of their own rite who will lack the Sacraments
of the Latin Rite for periods of long duration, even years. The Pontiff
has heard of pious Latin Rite Priests who in these circumstances have not
hesitated to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Byzantine anti-
mensia. To ease the consciences of all involved, and to further the cause

super Graecorum Antimensis offerre ; quod ipsis proinde in citata nostra Con-
stitutione vetitum fuit, eadem § 6, nom. 19."

33 The inhabitants of Bjelorussia, sometimes called "White Russians";
this terminology has become ambiguous because of political connotations : those
Russians who oppose the Bolsheviks are sometimes called "White Russians" in
opposition to the "Red Russians" (Bolsheviks).

34 For this term and the ecclesiastical history of these peoples, who were
at various time subject to diverse political hegemonies, cfr. Amman, op. cit.,
passim; Attwater, op. cit., I, pp. 72-101, 120-125, II, pp. 45-80 ; Oriente Cat-
tolico, op. cit., pp. 289-357.

35 CIC Fontes, II, No. 409, §§ 1-8, pp. 307-308.

158

of union by showing the value of the Greek Rite antimensia and by
encouraging the inter-ritual use of both these antimensia and Latin
portable altar stones, Pope Benedict XIV, having taken counsel with
various officials of the Roman Dicasteria, and having taken note of a
similar concession of Pope Clement VIII, 36 solemnly decrees that, not-
withstanding any other contrary laws or ordinances, all Latin Rite mis-
sionaries and other Priests now or in the future living for some time in
"Polish Russia" may celebrate the Latin Mass in Ruthenian Catholic
churches of the Byzantine Rite using their antimensia, if these Latin
Priests do not have Latin altar stones available. They are bound always
to celebrate according to the Latin Rite, however, and the prohibitions
enjoined by Pope Clement VIII and Pope Benedict XIV in their former
decrees 37 concerning the use of antimensia by Latin Priests among the
Italo-Greek-Albanians remain in full force. 38

3. On July 26, 1755, Pope Benedict XIV addressed an Encyclical
Letter, Allatae Sunt, to Latin Rite Priests sent to the East, in which he
reiterates his legislation of Impositio Nobis, noting the difficulties this
time in "White Russia" (Bjelorussia), allowing Latin Rite Priests to

36 A request by the Bishop of Vilna to the Holy Office and approved by
Clement VIII in 1652, granting inter-ritual use, in case of necessity, or even by
reason of devotion, between the Latins and the Ruthenians in communion with
Rome, in regard to altars (antimensia are not specifically mentioned), chalices,
and vestments as long as no scandal (?) arises and with permission of the com-
petent ecclesiastical Superiors and the Rectors of the respective churches in-
volved. The text is quoted in full in § 7, p. 310, of Imposito Nobis.

37 Instruction Sanctissimus and Constitution Imposito Nobis.

38 CIC Fontes, II, no. 409, 8, p. 310 : "8. Nos igitur, praemissae necessi-
tatis intuitu, atque etiam huiusmodi Decreti consideratione adducti, praesentium
litterarum tenore, atque ex certa scientia, et Apostolicae auctoritatis plenitudine,
salvis praefati Clementis VIII, nostrisque super Ritibus Italo-Gaecorum editis
Constitutionibus, et Ordinationibus, non modo relatum superius Decretum ap-
probamus, et confirmamus ; verum etiam praefatis omnibus Missionariis, aliisque
Sacerdotibus Latinis in tota Russia Polonica nunc et pro tempore commemo-
rantibus, ut ipsi, et eorum quilibet, in Ecclesiis Ruthenorum Unitorum, defi-
cientibus Lapideis Altarium Tabulis rite consecratis, super Sacris eorundem
Ruthenorum Antimensiis Missarum Sacrificia celebrare, atque etiam, ut supra
dictum est, in huiusmodi celebratione eorundem Calicibus stanneis uti libere, et
licite possint, et valeant, concedimus, et indulgemus. Non obstantibus quibusvis
Apostolicis, seu Generalium, aut Provincialarum, vel Synodalium Conciliorum
contrariis Constitutionibus, et Ordinationibus, sive Locorum, Personarum, aut
Ordinum Statutis, Ritibus, Usibus, et Consuetudinibus etiam immemorabilibus,
caeterisque in contrarium facientibus quibuscumque."

159

celebrate in Ruthenian churches lacking consecrated fixed altars upon
Byzantine Antimensia. 39

In regard to these Papal documents, Father Amanieu says :

"These are the only general concession which were accorded
(to Latin Rite Priests) to celebrate on Byzantine antimensia.
In other cases and in different territories from these, the Latin
Priest may not celebrate upon those antimensia which take the
place of consecrated altar stones." 40

39 CIC Fontes, II, no. 434, 37, pp. 471-472 : "536. Haec ad Graecos per-
tinent, qui celebraturi in Latinas Ecclesias recipiuntur. Verum, ut eo clarius
ostendatur, nullam exinde sequi Ritus permixtionem ab Ecclesiae Legibus pro-
scriptam, non abs re erit verba facere de Latinis quoque, qui ad Sacrificium
Missae offerendum, et Divina Officia persolvenda in Graecorum Ecclesiis, ex
iusta aliqua causa admittuntur. Quod quidem non modo propositam sententiam
confirmabit, sed etiam plurimum conferet ad demonstrandum, quam necessaria
sit mutua inter Catholicos, licet diversi Ritus, animorum coniunctio ac benevo-
lentia. In Russia Alba Rutheni Catholici, quos Unitos vocant, plures habent
Ecclesiae, paucas vero Latini, et quod magis est, longe dissitas a pagis Latino-
rum qui inter Ruthenos versantur. Latini quandoque diutius Sacrificio Latinae
Missae carebant, eo quod suis negotiis detenti, nequibant tarn longum inter
aggredi, ut ad Latinas Ecclesias se conferrent. Neque Latini Presbyteri facile
poterant ad paucas illas Latinorum Ecclesias, quae in Russia Alba reperiuntur,
accedere, ut Missam celebrarent, propterea quod Ecclesiae ipsae ab illorum
domicilio nimis longo intervallo seiungerentur. Itaque, ne Latini Missa Latino
Ritu celebrata tamdiu carerent, unum illud supererat, ut Latini Sacerdotes, in
Latinorum commodum, Latinas Missas in Ruthenis Ecclesiis celebrarent. Verum
hac ipsa in re, ea occurrebat difncultas, quod Altaria Graecorum sacro Lapide
carent, cum ipsi celebrent super Antimensiis, quae sunt Lintea quaedam ab Epi-
scopo consecrata, quorum angulis Sanctorum Reliquiae includuntur ; quamo-
brem Latini Sacerdotes Lapidem secum deferre cogebantur, haud levi inter-
cedente incommodo, ac discrimine, ne in itinere frangeretur. His omnibus in-
commodis tandem opportunum remedium, opitulante Deo, inventum, adhibi-
tumque fuit. Siquidem, consentientibus etiam ipsis Ruthenis, indultum fuit
Latinis Presbyteris, ut Missam Latino Ritu celebrarent in Ruthenis Ecclesiis, et
super illorum Antimensiis : idque eo vel expeditius visum est, quod Rutheni Sa-
cerdotes, accedentes quandoque ad Latinas Ecclesias Missam inibi celebraturi,
super nostris sacris Lapidibus Sacrificium conficiebant. Id omne cognosci potest
ex Constitutione nostra : Imposito Nobis, quae quadragesima tertia est, Bullarii
nostri, torn. III."

40 'Amanieu, op. cit., col. 589 : "Ce sont la les seules concessions generates
qui aient ete accordes de cel6brer sur les antimenses des grecs. Dans les autres
cas et les pays differents, le pretre latin ne peut pas celebrer sur les antimenses
tenant lieu de pierre sacr6e."

CHAPTER TWO

THE LAW OF THE PIAN-BENEDICTAN CODE

I. The situation among the Latin Rite Priests living among the
Italo-Greek-Albanians outlined above 1 together with a decree 2 from the
Holy Office of June 7, 1726 reiterating the same prohibitions, became
the basis for Canon 823, § 2, of the Codex Iuris Canonici, prepared in the
pontificate of Pope S. Pius X and completed and promulgated on May
27, 1917 by Pope Benedict XV. The canon in its entirety is :

"Canon 823. 1. It is not lawful to celebrate Mass in churches
belonging to heretics or schismatics, even if they had been
properly consecrated or blessed in the past. 3

2. If there is no altar of his own rite, a Priest may celebrate
on a consecrated altar of another Catholic rite, following his own
rite in the celebration of Holy Mass, but, however, not on a
Byzantine antimension. 4

1 pp. 149 ff.

2 Cfr. above, p. 155, note 28 for text.

3 Cfr. Ignatius J. Szal, The Communication of Catholics with Schismatics,
Washington, D C. : The Catholic University of America Press (Canon Law Stu-
dies no. 264), 1948, pp. 74-81. This legislation has been greatly modified by
the Vatican II Conciliar Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite, Nov-
ember 21, 1964, nos. 24-29, but especially no. 28 : "Further, given the same
principles, common participation by Catholics with their Eastern separated
brethren in sacred functions, things and places is allowed for a just cause.
(N.C.W.C. translation) - Decretum de Ecclesiis Orientalibus Catholicis, "2S. Item,
positis iisdem principiis, communicatio in sacris functionibus, rebus, et locis
inter catholicos et fratres seiunctos orientales iusta de causa permittitur." Pa-
ragraph 28 treats of extra-sacramental communicatio in sacris, i.e. sharing of
the same altar but not intercommunion in the same celebration of the Eucharist,
as a footnbte to the same paragraph explains.

4 For Latin text of can. 823, § 2, cfr. above, p. 147. It is interesting to
note that the phrase "non autem super Graecorum antimensiis" was not included
in the text of the canon as originally proposed in 1914 ; cfr. Schema Codieis Inns

12 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

162

3. No one may celebrate on a Papal Altar 5 unless he has an
Apostolic Indult (i.e. special permission from the Holy See).

This canon was inserted in the Third Book, De Rebus (concerning
Sacred Things), First Part, De Sacramentis (concerning the Sacrament*),
Third Title, De Sanctissima Eucharistiae (concerning the Sacred Eucharist),
Chapter 1, De Sacrosanctae Missae Sacrificio (The Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass), Article 1, De Tempore et Loco Missae Celebrandae (concerning the
time and place for the celebration of the Mass).

2. It should be noted that even though it is not specified, this
canon applies only to Latin Rite Priests 6 and not to Priests of other
Oriental Rites which do not use the antimension. 7 Although the Pian-
Benedictine Code of Canon Law is universal law for the Roman Catholic
Church, in its first canon, 8 the Oriental Catholics were exempted from

Canonici, Rome : Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1914, Liber III De Rebus, p. 39,
canon 98 : "1. Non licet Missam celebrari in templo haereticorum vel schismati-
corum, etsi olim valide consecrato aut benedicto." (this is identical with the ca-
non as finally promulgated in CIC). "2. Sacerdos potest ritu proprio celebrare
in altare alterius ritus nisi adest altare proprii ritus." (in the actual CIC, can.
823 : "2. Deficiente altari proprii ritus, sacerdoti fas est ritu proprio celebrare
in altari consecrato alius ritus catholici, non autem super Graecorum antimensiis.")
"3. In altaribus papalibus nemo celebret sine apostolico indulto." (identical
with CIC).

5 Cfr. Godley, op. ext., pp. 173-174 : "A papal altar is so called either be-
cause it was consecrated by the Pope or because he said Mass on it or because
he directly granted this special distinction to it... The main papal altars are the
following: the principal altars of St. John Lateran, of St. Peter (Vatican), of
St. Paul Outside the Walls, and of St. Mary Major in Rome, the High Altar of
the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, and the altar sent to King John V (1706-
1750) in Lisbon, Portugal." In recent years, this permission has been given more
frequently, e.g. to Bishops who accompany a pilgrimage of their faithful to
Rome. Cfr. motu proprio Peculiare Ius of Pope Paul VI, February 8, 1955,
AAS 58 (1966), pp. 119-122.

6 I.e. Bishops and Priests (unless they enjoy some special indult or pri-
vilege) of the Roman Rite, the Ambrosian (Milanese) Rite, the Mozarabic (To-
ledo) Rite, the Rite of Braga, Portugal, the Rite of Lyons, and the various Mo-
nastic Rites, e.g. Dominican, Carmelite, Carthusian, Cistercian, Premonstraten-
sian (Norbertines).

7 I.e., Bishops and Priests of the Coptic, Ethiopian, Malankarese, Ma-
ronite, Syrian, Armenian, Chaldean and Malabarese Rites.

8 "Can. I. Licet in Codice iuris canonici Ecclesiae quoque Orientalis di-
sciplina saepe referatur, ipse tamen unam respecit Latinam Ecclesiam, neque

1 63

its application except i) when they are are specifically mentioned ; or
2) when the laws involve matters of Faith or refer to or interpret the
natural or positive Divine Law. 9 Canon 823, 2, clearly does not speci-
fically mention Priests of the Oriental Rites, nor does it involve matters
of Faith or Divine Law.10

3. In regard to the binding force of this prohibition, it is considered
to be grave, 11 but the present author believes that necessity or serious
inconvenience would excuse from its observance if a Latin Rite Priest
(e.g. a missionary) had to chose between using an antimension without
permission, or celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass without any
consecrated altar at all contrary to the constant tradition of the Church,12

Orientalem obligat, nisi de iis agatur, quae ex ipsa rei natura etiam Orientalem
afficiunt." For a detailed exposition of this canon, cfr. Cicognani, op. cit.,
pp. 446-462.

9 Cfr. John A. Abbo and James D. Hannan, The Sacred Canons (2 vols.,
second revised ed.), St. Louis, Mo. : B. Herder Book Co., i960, I, pp. 3-5 ; Ci-
cognani, op. cit., p. 455.

10 Abbo-Hannon, op. cit., I, p. 822; Cicognani, op. cit., pp. 455-462
(where Canon 823 is not cited among the canons of the CIC which affect Orientals).

11 Abbo-Hannon, loc. cit. ; Amanieu, op. cit., col. 589 : "Cette defense a
toujours ete consideree comme grave, et meme de nos jours les moralistes." ;
Felix M. Cappello, Tractatus Canonico-M oralis de Sacramentis iuxta Codicem
Iuris Canonici (3 vols.), Torino : Marietti editori, 1921, I, no. 766, p. 627 : "Sub
gravi prohibetur sacerdos ritus latini celebrare super antimensiis" (Graecorum) ;
Mathaeus Conte, A. Coronata, Institutiones Iuris Canonici, De Sacramentis,
(2nd ed.), Rome : Marietti editori, 1951, I, no. 256, p. 230.

12 Cfr. above, pp. 30 ff. below, p. 164 (at end of note), however, we must
digress at this point to mention an apparent exception that because of cases of
extreme necessity the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith has
allowed its missionaries to use broken altar stones, or ones whose relics had been
lost, and had therefore lost, at least juridically speaking, their consecration.
The first time this seems to have been granted was for missionaries in Tonkin,
to whom, because their altars had been the special targets of the persecution that
they were at that time undergoing, received this indult on May 14, 1681 (cfr.
Collectanea S.C. de Propaganda Fide, no. 825, p. 305). The most recent time that
it has been granted is in the 1961-197° Decennial Faculties of the same Sacred
Congregation (Protocol Number 2150/60) : "5. Permittendi ut iusta de causa
Missa celebrari possit, super altari portatili,... etiamsi altare sit fractum vel sine
Reliquiis Sanctorum...". For a detailed commentary of this faculty, cfr. Igna-
tius Ting Pong Lee, Facilitates Apostolicae S.C. De Prop. Fide et S C. Con-
sistorialis, Roma: Commentarium pro Religiosis, 1962, pp. 120-125. Some
authors hold that this authorizes the missionary priest to celebrate on any piece
of stone whatever since they opine that the exsecrated portable altar stone is no

164

when it is necessary to celebrate Mass. I base this opinion on two facts:
1) Pope Benedict XIV, whose decrees Etsi Pastoralis, 13 Imposito Nobis,1*

different from any other stone. Seeing in this an extreme example of the S.C. de
Prop. Fide's eschewment of the Byzantine antimension, Manuel Ayala, Lo-
pes, "Ara y Antimension, en torno al Derecho de la Sagrada Congregacion de
Ritos de 12 de marzo de 1947", Revista Espanola de Derecho Canonico, IV (1949),
p. 243, says : "La Sagrada Congregacion de Propaganda Fide, a pesar de las ven-
tajas de indole personal que en ello pudiera haber, siempre mantuvo esta Hnea
de conducta, denegando el uso del antimensio oriental a los misioneros latinos en
sus correrias apostolicas, aunque hizo concesiones sobre la materia, animada de
maternal benignidad.

En las Facultades Generales otorgadas a los Ordinarios de Misiones, que
recientement fueron redactad y transmitidas en 1 de enero de 1941, tenemos el
ejemplo claro y patente.

Entre las que conciernen a los sacramentos y a la parte ritual, existe la
senalada con el numero 4... "Permittendi ut Missa celebrari possit in casu ne-
cessitatis super altari portatili, etiam sine ministro, et sub dio... etiam si altare
sit fractum vel sine reliquiis Sanctorum..."

Cierto es que la facultad concede la dispensa, debitis cautelis adhibitis, y
solo en caso de necesidad, en que, de lo contrario, habria que abstenerse de decir
misa, habida cuenta que no es meramente personal, sino concedida en atenwion
al pueblo cristiano.

Aun acentuan mas lo extraordinario del caso algunos interpretes afirmando
que tal concesion equivale en fin de cuestas a autorizar la celebracion sobre una
simple piedra cualquiera.

Porque, segun buena teoria rubriquista, el ara quebrantada perdio toda su
signicacion liturgica y no le queda mas que un remoto recuerdo de lo que antes
fuera, en la piadosa estimacion de los fieles."

Xavier Paventi, "Quaestiones de lure Missionali", Ephemerides Juris
Canonici, III (1947), p. 244 says, in the same vein : "Qua facultate permitte-
batur tandem aliquando celebrari Missae super simplici lapide, nam altare frac-
tum sine reliquiis Sanctorum nullo modo differt a communi lapide et quam-
cumque significationem amisit." For the injunction of celebrating only on a
consecrated altar, its grave obligation, and excusing causes, cfr. Duffy, op.
ext., pp. 44-45 ; Godley, op. ext., pp. 23-27, 135-136.

However, the new Missale Romanum ex decreto Sacrosancti Concilli Vati-
can! II instauratum auctoritate Pauli PP. VI promulgatum, editio typica, Rome :
Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1970, obviates this whole difficulty for the Latin
Rite by stating that "when celebrating outside a sacred place, espeally when
done per modum actus (occasionally), the Eucharist may be celebrated upon any
convenient table, always using altar cloths and corporal." p. 76, no. 260. It
does not clear up the problem of habitually celebrating without a consecrated
altar or relics. Cfr. below, pp. 225 ff. for the Latin text and further discussion
of this problem.

13 Cfr. above, pp. 153-154, 157-158.

14 Cfr. above, pp. 155-158.

165

and Allatae Sunt, 15 are cited in the footnotes to Canon 823, § 2, himself
noted that in cases of necessity, or when they or their charges would have
to go for a long time without the Latin Mass, pious Priests did not hesitate
to use Byzantine antimensia without permission when they lacked altars
of their own rite ; he seems to approve of their conduct as he uses it as
a motive for his Constitution Imposito Nobis ; 16 2) as we shall see shortly,
the Holy See has often derogated, both by means of special indults
granted to individual Priests and Bishops, and by means of faculties
granted to particular territories or even universal faculties, from the
law embodied in this particular canon.

4. However, we cannot agree with Father Victor Pospishil's opinion:

"The prohibition of can. 823, § 2, for Latin Rite priests to
^celebrate over an antimension of the Byzantine (Greek) Rite, is by
contrary practice of the Holy See to be considered abolished." 17

Father Pospishil goes on to cite the indults given to individual
Priests and to military chaplains by the Holy See and through mem-
bership in certain pious societies. 18

These indults and faculties are privileges given as special permissions
to act contrary to the general law of the Code, and as such do not abro-
gate the law itself. 19

15 Cfr. above, p. 155, 158.

16 Cfr. above, p. 155, 157-158.

17 Victor Pospishil, Inter-ritual Canon Law Problems in the United
States and Canada, Chesapeake City, Maryland : St. Basil's (sic), 1955, pp. 75-76.

18 E.g. "Catholic Near East Welfare Association." Cfr. below, pp. 355-357.

19 Thus, in speaking of the Latin antimension, A. Betta, "De concessione
antimensii missionaris latinis", Ephemerides Liturgicae, vol. 62 (second part,
1948), p. 382, says : "The Latin antimensium is permitted in imitation of the
Greek antimension, borrowing from it the name and even to some degree its
use ; properly speaking, however, the antimension of the Greeks is prohibited
and remains prohibited." "Antimentium latinum ad instar antimensii graecorum
conceditur, nomen et aliquomodo etiam usum eius usurpans ; proprio tamen lo-
quendo, antimensium graecorum prohibitum est et prohibitum manet." And
in the same vein, Cosmas Sartori, Iuris Missionarii Elementa (editio altera),
Roma : Libreria S. Antonio, 1951, p. 97 : "This linen cloth is not to be in any-
way confused with the antimensions of the Greeks, on which a Priest of the
Latin Rite is forbidden to celebrate (Can. 823, § 2) and which prohibition re-
confundendum est cum Graecorum antimensiis, in quibus sacerdos ritus latini
celebrare nequeunt (can. 823, § 2), quae prohibitio manet : ditfert enim ab iis
forma et benedictione." Cfr. also Godley, op. cit., p. 172, and Henry, op. cit.,
where they note that the special indult granted to the Catholic Near East Wel-
fare Association does not abrogate canon 823, § 2.

CHAPTER THREE

AFTER THE PIAN-BENEDICTAN CODE OF CANON LAW

Although the prohibition of Canon 823, § 2 for Latin Rite priests
to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on the Byzantine antimension
has never been revoked, dispensations from this law have been granted
and have become less and less rare.

The Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches has given
apostolic indults to various individual Priests and Bishops 1 of the Latin
Rite allowing them to celebrate Mass on the Byzantine antimension,
instead of the Latin portable altar stone, not only in churches of the
Oriental Rite but even

1 Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., p. 139 remarks : "Nonnumquam, etsi raro,
indultum fuit latinis sacerdotibus celebrare super Orientalia Antimensia. Re-
centiori tempore aliqui latini ritus sacerdotis hoc privilegio iure utebantur ex
concessione Sacrae Congregationis pro Ecclesia Orientalia 'ob praeclara merita
erga Ecclesias Orientales' (textus Rescripti). Casus vero huiusmodi extraordi-
nariae concessionis sporadicos esse nemo est qui ignoret ; immo eiusdem elargitio
valde coarcta fuit sub Pio XII, etsi in praesentiarum mitior agendi ratio ob-
servatur." " Sometimes, though rarely, an indult was granted for Latin Rite Priests
to celebrate upon Oriental Antimensia. More recently, a Latin Rite Priest could
obtain this privilege by a concession from the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental
Churches 'because of outstanding efforts for the Oriental Churches' (text of the Re-
script). That the incidence for this extraordinary concession is sporadic is well
known ; it was even more restrincted under Pius XII, even though today a less
strict course of action has been taken" (commenting on Faculty no. 6 of the 1961-
1970 Decennial Faculties of the S.C.P.F.). At least to authors insinuate disap-
proval of the fact that the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches acted
contrary to the Code of Canon Law : Ayala Lopez, op. cit., p. 244 : "La S. Con-
gregacion pro Ecclesia Orientali exterioriza un nuevo criterio de benignidad,
concediendo frecuentemente autorizacion a los sacerdotes latinos para celebrar
la santa misa sobre el antimensio oriental. No es nuestro animo el formular jui-
cios menos respetuosos aludiendo a esta disposicion, pues se trata de norma v
conducta de un Dicasterio Romano, en materia de su propria competencia."

i68

"because of their special merit in regard to the Oriental Chur-
ches, 2 the personal privilege of using, in the celebration of Mass,
the (Byzantine) antimension, instead of the Latin portable
altar stone, not only in churches of the Oriental Rite, but even
outside of these, whenever there would be some inconvenience
in using the Latin portable altar, during a voyage as long as
they observe the Latin Rite in its integrity in all other par-
ticulars, and place a Corporal on top of the antimension." 3

The same faculty as granted to Latin Rite Bishops adds the clause:

"The same faculty, by the present letters, is conceded to
one or two Priests, who in the same circumstances accompany
His Excellency, the Bishop N.N." 4

The same Sacred Congregation, on January 26, 1928, granted this
privilege to the members (and those who would in the future be enrolled)
of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (C.N.E.W.A.), an association
dedicated to prayer and charitable assistance in behalf of the Oriental
Churches and the needy of the Near East ; this seems to be the first time
that a general indult in this matter was given to a relatively large group of

"The Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches shows a new criterion of be-
nignity, conceding frequently authorization for Latin Rite Priests to celebrate Holy
Mass on the Oriental antimension. It is not our intention to form a somewhat disre-
spectful judgement concerning this practice, since we are treating of the norms and
conduct of a Roman Decasterium regarding matters of its proper competency."
And Paventi, op. cit., p. 250 : "Quoad antimensium orientale notandum est
quod hisce temporibus ipsa S.C. pro Ecclesia Orientali non raro concedit sacer-
dotirbus latinis facultatem celebrandi sacrum super antimensio orientali contra
prescriptionem canonis supra citati (can. 823, 2). De hac questione nullum iudi-
cium proferimus cum agatur de praxi introducto a competenti dicasterio ro-
mano." "In regard to the Oriental antimension, it may be noted that at the present
the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches not rarely concedes to Latin Rite
Priests the faculty to celebrate on the Oriental antimension contrary to the prescrip-
tions of the above cited canon {can. 823, 2). In regard to this question we put forth
no judgement because we are treating here of a practice introduced by a competent
Roman Dicasterium."

2 In just what this "special merit" consists, is not specified ; most likely-
it is special interest in, or work or charitable assistance in behalf of Oriental
christians.

3 Cfr. below, Appendix I, p. 300, for facsimile of indult in behalf of a
Latin Rite priest.

4 Cfr. below, Appendix I, p. 301, for facsimile of indult in behalf of a
Latin Rite Bishop.

1 69

persons instead of to single individuals. 5 Many diocesan and religious
Priests of the United States and Canada have enrolled themselves in the
C.N.E.W.A. in order to avail themselves of the privilege of the portable
altar using the Byzantine antimension. The antimension itself they have
obtained either from the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches,
some Byzantine Rite Bishop, or from the C.N.E.W.A.

During the Second World War (1939-1945), the Holy See granted
to Military Chaplains the privilege of using for the celebration of Holy
Mass, instead of the Latin Rite portable altar stone, "a veil which had
enclosed, and well fastened, authentic relics." 6 Given the fact that the
antimension was still a rather exotic artifact in the West, it could, with
a sewn-on eileton or lining of red silk, 7 upon superficial examination
seem to be a "veil" (similar to a Chalice Veil) with relics enclosed in it.
Notice that- no mention is made of the blessing or consecration of this
object, which seems odd, given the venerable tradition of celebrating
only on a consecrated altar. Perhaps the idea of celebrating upon a
portable altar which was not made of stone was so unheard of that no
thought was given to its consecration or blessing.

The present author traced, in the archives of the Sacred Congrega-
tion of Rites, some correspondence which will be of interest in the present
discussion. The late Cardinal (then Archbishop) Francis J. Spellman,
Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York, in his capacity of Military
Vicar for the Armed Forces of the United States of America, requested
for the military chaplains under his jurisdiction, for the duration of the
war the same privilege to substitute the antimension for the Latin Rite
portable altar stone as had been conceded by the Holy See to the military
chaplains of Great Britain. This request was passed on to the Sacred
Congregation for the Oriental Churches by the Apostolic Delegate of the
United States, which Congregation in turn referred it, in a report 8 dated
December 18, 1942, to the Secretariat of State. The Secretariat of State
turned the matter over, in a letter 9 dated February 24, 1943, to the
judgment of the Sacred Congregation of Rites. In this letter, it is noted
in regard to the privilege of using the antimension instead of the portable

5 Cfr. Godley, op. ext., p. 172 ; Henry, op. cit., p. 72.

6 Cfr. below, p. 170.

7 Cfr. above, p. 84 ff. The Latin Chalice Veil resembles the Byzantine Aor

8 Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches, Protocol Number 1413/42.

9 Secretariate of State of the Vatican, Protocol Number 1043/43. Cfr.
below, Appendix I, pp. 298-299. for facsimile for original Italian.

170

altar stone supposed to have been granted to the British military chaplains:

"This last affirmation is not exact ; to the British Military
Vicar, in fact, was granted only — as 1 had the honor to com-
municate to Your Emminence in letter N. 7830/42 of November
3, 1942 — the faculty to permit the military chaplains to sub-
stitute, for the purpose of altars used in the field, instead of the
portable altar stone, a veil having enclosed and well fastened,
authentic Sacred Relics. I leave it to Your Eminence to judge
whether or not it is advisable to grant the identical faculty also
to His Excellency the Military Vicar of the Armed Forces of
the United States, and ask to be advised of its eventual con-
cession."

This faculty was granted on February 26, 1943 and communicated
in a response 10 dated on the same day to Cardinal Spellman, in the
terms of "a privilege for Military Chaplains to use for the celebration of
Mass, instead of a portable altar stone, a veil having enclosed relics
authenticated by a Bishop." With the clause "all other things must be
observed which are required in the celebration of Holy Mass."

10 Sacred Congregation of Rites, Protocol Number 2628/43 :
"Beatissime Pater,

R.P.D. Franciscus J. Spellman Archiepiscopus Neo Eboracensis et Ordi-
narius Castrensis pro America Septentrionali ad pedes Sanctitatis Vestrae pro-
volutus privilegium implorat pro cappellanis castrensibus utendi loco altaris
portatilis in celebratione Missae, velo cum inclusis Reliquiis ab Episcopo recognitis.

Ordinariatus Militaris Americae Septentrionalis.

Sanctissimus Dominus Noster Pius Papa XII preces Excellentissimi Or-
dinarii Militaris Americae Septentrionalis ab infrascripto Cardinali Sacrae Rituum
Congregationis Praefecto relatas permanenter excipiens, benigne annuere pro
gratia iuxta preces dignatus est, servatis de cetero servandis in celebratione
Missae. Contrariis non obstantibus quibuscumque.

Die 26 Februarii 1943.

Carolus Card. Salotti
S.R.C. Praefectus"

"Most Holy Father,

Most Reverend Francis J. Spellman, Archbishop of New York and Miltiary
Ordinary for North America, prostrate at the feet of your Holiness, asks for Miliary
Chaplains the privilege of using for the celebration of the Mass, instead of a por-
table altar {stone) a veil containing relics authenticated by a Bishop.

To the Military Ordinariate of North America :

Our Most Holy Lord Pope Pius XII having heard the request of His Excel-
lency the Military Ordinary of North America which was related to him by the
undersigned Cardinal Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, graciously deigns

i7i

Father Thomas J. Welsh, commenting on this privilege, in his
book The Use of the Portable Altar, says :

"Many chaplains availed themselves of this privilege by
using a Greek antimensium. This practice is certainly within
the limits of the faculty, and indeed reflects the most practical
solution, but if any bishop would authenticate some relics and
these would be safely inserted in a veil, a chaplain could cer-
tainly say Mass on such a veil. The wording of the faculty
makes this evident beyond doubt." 11

In the 1967 edition of Cardinal Spellman's Vademecum for the
Priests Serving the Military Vicariate of the United States of America,
the Military Chaplains are given the faculty, even in time of peace :

"To use, for a just cause, instead of an altar stone the Greek
or Latin Antimensium with due observance of liturgical pre-
scriptions regarding altar cloths and the corporal." 12

The Motu-Proprio of Pope Paul VI, Pastorale Munus, of November
30, 1963, gave to all Local Ordinaries of the Universal Church (of all
Rites, Western and Eastern), the faculty to grant, for a just and serious
reason, to all Priests subject to them, who enjoy the faculty of the por-
table altar, the faculty of substituting for the portable altar stone the
Byzantine or the Latin forms of the antimension. 13

At this juncture, we have reached a point where the history of
the use of the Byzantine antimension fuses with that of the newly insti-
tuted Latin antimensium, and these two will be considered together in the

to grant this request as presented, as long as all other things are properly observed
which are necessary for the celebration of Mass. All other prescriptions to the con-
trary notwithstanding.

February 26, 1943-

Charles Cardinal Salotti
Prefect of the Sacred
Congregation of Rites"

11 Welsh, op. cit., p. 94.

12 Francis Cardinal Spellman, Vademecum for the Priests Serving the
Military' Vicariate of the United States of America, New York: The Military Or-
dinariate (30 East 51st Street, N.Y., N.Y. 10022), p. 1967, faculty 8, p. 15,

13 Pastorale Munus, part. I, faculty no. 9- Cfr. below, pp. 212-213, tor

text.

next section. 14 We would like to remark, as we pointed out above, 15 that
unfortunately these various indults and faculties leave intact, for the Latin
Rite Priest who has not received special permission from the competent
ecclesiastical Superior, the prohibition of canon 823, § 2 against celebrating
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on a Byzantine antimension. It is to be
hoped that the revision of the Code of Canon Law for the Latin Church,
presently being worked upon, will rectify this unfortunate situation.

Cfr. below, pp. 175-182.
p. 165.

SECTION II

THE LATIN RITE ANTIMENSIUM

The antimensinm latinum had its inchoative beginnings in the first
part of the second quarter of the XX century and saw its final develop-
ment in the latter years of the same period ; it is thus a new canonical
institute, post-Code, and the documentation concerning it, while far
more precise, is relatively scarce when compared to the more then a
millenium of history and legislation regarding the Byzantine antimension.
Nevertheless, in a short time the Latin antimension has come into wide-
spread use as a substitute for the Latin portable altar stone.

CHAPTER ONE

THE ORIGIN OF THE LATIN RITE ANTIMENSIUM

Altough the exact origin of the antimensium Latinum is unknown,
there can be no doubt that it found its inspiration in the highly useful
Byzantine antimension. 1

I. Oddly enough, the Latin Rite antimension, like its Byzantine
counterpart, seems to have been born amid the turmoil of religious per-
secution, this time in Mexico. Priests were the special target, and it
could be dangerously compromising to be found with any of the acou-
trements necessary for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
or the administration of the Sacraments, such as altar stones, Mass
wine, hosts (altar breads), chalices, vestments, etc. The persecution
became particularly atrocious during the years 1926 to 1928, when many
Priests and Religious were killed, and to facilitate the apostolate of the
Mexican clergy, the Sacred Congregation of the Council, on December 23,
1927, granted to the local Ordinaries in Mexico certain extraordinary
faculties among which were :

"The faculty to celebrate, in case of extraordinary necessity,
and also to allow others (the Priests subject to them) to cele-
brate, for the purpose of consecrating the Sacred Eucharist
to administer to the sick and dying, wearing as vestments at
least a blessed stole and surplice, if this can be conveniently
done, and in place of an altar using a small blessed linen cloth
which cannot be re-converted to non-religious use, before a
Cross, and if they can be had, two candles, observing the ritual
prescriptions at least in substance." 2

1 Cfr. Ayala Lopez, op. cit., p. 246 ; A. Gutierrez, "De Linteo Benedicto
Loco Altaris Portatilis pro Missionariis", Commentarium pro Religiosis et Mis-
sionariis, 34 (1955), p. 288 ; Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., p. 140.

2 Facultas celebrandi, in casibus extraordinariae necessitatis, et etiam
permittendi ut alii celebrent, ad Sacras Species parandas infirmis et moribundis

176

These small pieces of blessed linen cloth excited no suspicion, as
no doubt they could be concealed as handkerchiefs or ordinary table
napkins (serviettes), and were, by this extraordinary disposition of the
Holy See, adequate and useful substitutes for the consecrated altar
stone. It is to be noted that nothing is mentioned as to the inclusion of
Relics, since these would have been detected by the persecutors, and no
special form was given as to their blessing. 3

We cannot establish a definite relationship between these blessed
linen cloths used by the Mexican clergy instead of portable altar stones
and the above mentioned 4 "veils" furnished with Relics granted to military
chaplains during World War II. Father Ignatius Ting Pong Lee, in his
brief treatment of the history of the antimensium latinum, while men-
tioning the Mexican faculties of 1927, calls the liturgical objects used
by the military chaplains "a linen cloth" and not a "veil" (as in the mi-
litary faculties mentioned above) :

"With the outbreak of the War (W.W. II) began a profound
change, although by way of exception, in the discipline of the
Code of Canon Law concerning altars. Pope Pius XII granted
to military chaplains, under specified conditions and observing
certain formalities, the faculty of offering the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass on a kind of linen cloth which took the place of the
portable altar stone." 5

administrandas, adhibitis saltern stola et superpelliceo benedictis, si id conve-
nienter fieri possit et loco altaris utendi panniculis lineis benedictis ad alios pro-
fanos usus non convetendi, ante Crucem, et, si haberi possunt, duas candelas,
observatis ritibus saltern in substantialibus." as in Matthaus Conte A Coro-
nata, Interpretatio Authentica Codicis Iuris Canonici et circa ipsum Sanctae Sedis
Iurisprudentia igi6-ig40, Rome : Marietti editori, 1940, p. 185. This was com-
municated directly to the Mexican Ordinaries, and secretly because of the perse-
cution, and for this reason was never printed officially in any official acts or
documents of the Holy See, and therefore the primary sources are lacking. For
other secondary sources, cfr. C.L. Digest, II, p. 88 and Can. 845 ; Coronata,
De Sacramentis, op. cit., no. 256, footnote 6, p. 230.

3 In similar circumstances, Ayala Lopez, op. cit., p. 244 and Paventi,
op. cit., p. 250, suggest the formulae found in the Rituale Romano, tit. VIII,
cap. 21 : "Benedictio mapparum seu tobalearum" (usual blessing for altar cloths)
or cap. 22 "Benedictio pallae et corporalis" (used for blessing the pall and cor-
poral). Perhaps no special form was mentioned because of fear of lack of proper
liturgical books and texts. Cfr. below, pp. 197-198.

4 Cfr. above, pp. 169-171.

5 Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., p. 139 : "Immani flagrante bello incipit, excep-
tionali quidem via, profunda disciplinae Codicis innovatio quoad altaria. Pius XII

i77

2. The next time that we hear of the antimensium latinum is in a
decree 6 obtained March 12, 1947, from the Sacred Congregation of Rites
by the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith for its
mission territories. This latter Sacred Congregation communicated to
all the Ordinaries in mission countries the faculty to grant to their Priests
to use instead of a portable altar stone a cloth made of linen or hemp,
blessed by a Bishop using a specially prescribed formula of blessing, 7
and having sewn into one of its right hand corners sacred Relics authen-
ticated by the Bishop. The faculty had attached to it the following limi-
tations, obliging in conscience : 8 it was to be used only 1) in places where
there were insufficient roads and means of transportation ; 2) where there
was no church or oratory either public or private (and furnished with
a consecrated altar stone) ; 3) when it was very inconvenient to carry
about or have at hand a portable altar stone ; 4) all other rubrical pre-
sriptions concerning altars were to be observed, especially those concern-
ing the requirement of using altar cloths and a corporal. 9

3. It was at this point that the essential form of the antimensium
latinum became crystalized : as a linen or hemp cloth blessed by a Bishop
and containing in the right hand corner, 9a authenticated Relics ; 10 from
this point onwards, only the circumstances of its use change slightly
as to particulars.

indulsit capellanis militiae addictis ut in quibusdam adiunctis et quibusdam
etiam servatis conditionibus, Missae sacrincium offerre valerent super quoddam
linteum quod locum petrae sacrae teneret." He calls the 1947 S.C.P.F. Faculty
"the same privilege" ("idem privelegium"). L. Buijs, Facultates Ordinariorum
et Legatorum Sanctae Sedis in Missionibus necnon Facilitate et Gratiae Pro Ame-
rica Latina et Insulis Philippinis, Romae : Apud Aedes Universitatis Grego-
rianae, 1963 (henceforth cited as Buijs, Facultates Ordinariorum) pp. 49-5°
also terms the object used by the Military Chaplain "a linen cloth blessed by a
Bishop" - "linteum ab Episcopo benedictum".

6 "De speciali gratia, facta verbo cum Sanctissimo" - The text may be
found in Ephemerides Iuris Canonici, III (i947)» PP- 250-251.

7 The text of the formula of blessing was appended to the faculties. Cfr.
below, pp. 197 if, 302.

8 "Et onerata eorum conscientia".

9 We will examine this faculty and restrictions in their particulars below,
pp. 217-218.

93 Perhaps from Benedict XIV's description of Byzantine antimension
with relics in corner. Cfr. above, p. 159. n. 39.

10 I.e. of Martyrs as specified in the formula of blessing, cfr. below, pp.
193-196.

13 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

i78

4. In 1950, the identical faculty was granted to the Archbishop
of Calcutta to be given to the Priests of his Archdiocese (which depends
upon the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith), under
the same conditions as the 1947 faculties, and for a period of 10 years. 11

In 1957 Faculties for the Military Ordinariate of the United States
of America still referred to a "veil" :

"18. To use for the celebration of Mass, in place of the sacred
stone used as a portable altar, a veil blessed by a Bishop, in
which there have been placed Relics authenticated by a Bishop.
This veil may be used only if there is no church or oratory
available and it would be very inconvenient to carry the stone
on the trip or have it always available. The rubrics are to be
observed especially in reference to the altar-cloths and the
corporal" 12

However, this time, unlike the World War II faculties reported
above, 13 the "veil" must be blessed by a Bishop whereas befor nothing
was mentioned as to blessing. In all likelihood, this "veil" is the antimen-
sium latinum, 14 and the English translation retains the old terminology
of "veil". In fact, the 1961 edition of the Vademecum for the Priests
serving in the Military Vicariate of the United States of America keeps
the exact wording 15 of the 1957 faculties while giving as the source a
decree 16 from the Sacred Consistorial Congregation dated December 9,
i960, whose Latin text agrees substantially with its English translation,
except that the Latin text uses the phrase "linteum ex lino vel cannabe

11 Cfr. C.L. Digest, III, pp. 361-362, ad can. 822.

12 C.L. Digest, V, pp. 313-314, ad. can. 451.
18 Cfr. above, pp. 169-171.

14 Unfortunately, since this was a private response, the Latin text has
never been published and was unavailable at the time of the present writing.

15 Francis Cardinal Spellman, Vademecum for the Priests Serving the
Military Vicariate of the United States of America, New York : The Military Or-
dinariate (30 East 51st Street, N.Y., N.Y. 10022), 1961, pp. 11-12.

16 Ibidem, p. 68, Protocol Number 880/57 Sacra Congregatio Consistorialis,
9 December, i960 : "4. Ut in sacrosancto Missae sacrificio celebrando loco altaris
portatilis seu petra sacrae substituatur aliquod linteum ex lino vel cannabae
confectum et ab Episcopo benedictum, in quo conditae sunt Sanctorum Reli-
quiae ab eodem Episcopo recognitae iis tantum in casibus in quibus aut nulla
ecclesia vel oratorium sive publicum sive privatum existet, et valde incommodum
sit lapideum altare secum in itinere transferre aut in promptu habere. Servatis
de cetero servandis iuxta Rubricas praesertim quoad tobaleas et corporale."

179

confectum" which is the antimensium latinum and has been incorrectly
translated as "a veil" in the English language version of the faculties.
The 1967 edition 17 of the Vademecum has corrected this error in ter-
minology and instead carries the faculty :

"8. To use, for a just cause, instead of an altar stone the
Greek or Latin Antimension with due observance of liturgical
prescriptions regarding altar cloths and the corporal." 18

5. On August 8, 1959, the Sacred Consistorial Congregation made
the following grant to the local Ordinaries of Latin America and the
Philippine Islands in the customary Decennial Faculties :

"Local Ordinaries may grant to Priests subject to their jurisdi-
ction, where sufficients roads and vehicles are lacking, the faculty
of substituting, in place of the portable altar or sacred stone, a
cloth made of linen or hemp and blessed by a Bishop, in which
are placed Relics of Saints authenticated by the same Bishop ;
the said Priest may celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
upon these only in those cases, binding in conscience, in which
there is no church nor oratory, neither public nor private, and
in which it would be very inconvenient to carry an altar stone
with them on the journey or to have one handy. All else must
be observed according to the rubrics, especially as regards the
use of altar cloths and a corporal." 19

These faculties are quite similar to the 1947 ones of the Sacred
Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. 20

17 We have placed this material here, out of its chronological sequence, for
the sake of logical continuity.

18 1967 Vademecum {civ. above, p. 178, note 15), p. 15.

19 "Fac. n. 10. Ordinarii locorum sacerdotibus suae iurisdictioni obnoxiis,
ubi viarum et curruum deest copia, facultatem concedere valent sustituendi,
loco altaris portatilis seu petrae sacrae, aliquod linteum ex lino vel cannabae
confectum et ab Episcopo benedictum, in quo conditae sint Sanctorum Reliquiae
ab eodem Episcopo recognitae, super quo iidem sacerdotes sacrosanctum Missae
Sacrificium celebrare queant iis tantum in casibus, et onerata eorum conscientia,
in quibus aut nulla ecclesia vel oratorium sive publicum sive privatum existet,
et valde incommodum sit lapideum altare secum in itinere transferre aut in
promptu, habere. Servatis de cetero servandis iuxta Rubricas, praesertim quoad
tobaleas et corporale." Latin text in AAS 51 (i959), P- 915 and Buijs, Facultates
Ordinariorum, op. cit., p. 256. English translation in C.L. Digest, V, p. 175 ad
can. 66.

20 Cfr. Duffy, op. cit., p. 46, also above, pp. 177 ff.

i8o

6. The 1960-1970 Decennial Faculties granted by the Sacred Con-
gregation for the Propagation of the Faith to the local Ordinaries of the
mission territories subject to it, contained the same faculty ; however,
this time the restrictions concerning insufficient roads and vehicles and
inconvenience of carrying or providing a portable altar stone have been
removed, 21 a great step forward in the history of the antimensium latinum.

The final stage in the history of this canonical institute, in its
present-day form was reached with the Motu Proprio of Pope Paul VI,
Pastorale Munus, dated November 30, 1963. This gave to all local Or-
dinaries 22 the faculty :

"9. To grant the faculty to Priests who enjoy the indult of
the privilege of the portable altar that, for a just and serious
cause, they may use in place of a consecrated altar stone a
Byzantine antimension or a cloth, blessed by a Bishop, in one
of whose right hand corners are enclosed Relics of Holy Martyrs
which have been authenticated by a Bishop, all else being ob-
served in accordance with the rubrics, especially with regard
to the use of altar cloths and a corporal." 23

Here the restrictions specified in regard to travel and inconvenience
have been removed entirely ; however, the faculty is to be given to those

21 As well as the phrase "et onerata eorum conscientia" ; SC. de Pro-
paganda Fide Protocol no. 2150/60 : "Fac. no. 6. Permittendi ut sacerdotes
substituere possint altari portatili seu petrae sacrae aliquod linteum ex lino vel
cannabae confectum et rite benedictum, in quo conditae sint Sanctorum Reli-
quiae ab aliquo Ordinari loci recognitae, super quo iidem sacerdotes sacrosanc-
tum Missae sacrificium celebrare queant iis tantum in casibus in quibus nulla
ecclesia vel nullum oratorium publicum extet, servatis de cetero servandis iuxta
rubricas, praesertim quoad tobaleas et corporale." Latin text in Buijs, Fa-
cilitates Ordinariorum, op. cit., p. xviii ; Hermes Peters, Facultates Quas Ordi-
narii et Misionarii Habere Solent Cum Brevi Commentario (3rd ed.), Rome :
Pontificium Athenaeum Antonianum, i960, p. 13 ; Ting Pong Lee, op. cit.,
p. 6. English translation C.L. Digest, V, p. 177, ad can. 66.

22 The active and passive subjects of this faculty, as well as the other
particulars, will be discussed below, pp. 212 ff.

23 Pastorale Munus, I : "9. Concedendi facultatem sacerdotibus, indulto
altaris portatilis fruentibus, ut, iusta et gravi de causa, pro petra sacra adhibere
valeant Graecorum antimensium, vel linteum, ab Episcopo benedictum, in cuius
angulo dextro sint reconditae reliquiae Sanctorum Martyrum, pariter ab Epi-
scopo recognitae, servatis de cetero servandis iuxta rubricas, praesertim quoad
tobaleas et corporale." Latin text in AAS 56 (1964), p. 7. English translation
in Fredrick R. McManus, "Ordinary Faculties of Bishops - Pastorale Munus" ,
The Jurist, XXIV (1964), p. 100.

i8i

priests who already enjoy the privilege of celebrating on a portable altar.
The only other relatively new element is that the Relics are specified in
the faculty itself as those of Martyrs ; in any case, as we have noted
above,23a the use of Martyrs' Relics had been enjoined, if not in the 1947
faculties of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith
themselves, at least in the formula for the blessing of the antimensium
latinum which was appended to these faculties.

7. In the present day, the antimensium latinum has come into
widespread use, not only by missionary Priests and those on voyages,
but also at home to solve the problem of an altar apt for the celebration
of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with the Celebrant facing the congre-
gation. The vast majority of the Catholic churches of the Roman Rite
were constructed for the celebration of Mass according to the old rubrics
with the Celebrant facing East (back to the people) ; these altars, whether
consecrated fixed altars or altars "ad modum fixi" ("stable altars") 24
are solidly built and often massive objects and much labor and expense
would be required to remove the old altar and re-order the sanctuary with
a view to having the priest face the congregation. The half measure of
having the priest at the south side (epistle side) of the altar for the
Liturgy of the Word and then celebrating the Liturgy of the Eucharist
with his back to the Faithful, has been found liturgically unsatisfying.
A great many churches have used the solution of placing some sort of
fitting wooden table in the midst of the sanctuary to use as an altar
versus populum, leaving the original altar with its tabernacle undisturbed;
this wooden table is either removed when Mass is over, to leave the
sanctuary unencumbered, or it is left in place permanently and removed
only when more room is needed, during cleaning and repairs of the church,
etc. Instead of having a special receptacle incised into the surface of the
table to receive a portable altar stone (otherwise the chalice or ciborium
might tip over if placed too near or on the edge of the altar stone hidden
under the altar cloths), with the added inconvenience of danger of breakage,
many priests have obtained from their Ordinary (Bishop) permission to
substitute for the Petra Sacra the simple and serviceable Latin or Byz-
zantine antimension 25 placed on the table-top underneath the altar

23a Cfr. above, p. 177, belox, pp. 193-196.

24 Cfr. above, p. 105, note 4.

25 Since this is not a use "extra loca sacra" but rather "intra locum sa-
crum", the Priest need not necessarily first enjoy the Faculty of the Portable

182

cloths, transforming a homely peice of furniture, such as was used by
our Lord Himself, into an object consonant with the ancient tradition
of the Church, a fitting place upon which to offer the august Sacrifice of
the Mass. In churches being constructed after the introduction of the
"New Liturgy", the sanctuary is furnished with a fixed consecrated
stone altar apt for celebration versus populum and entirely in harmony
with the tradition of stone altars in the Latin Church. 26

Altar ; however, the Ordinary's permission is still needed to substitute the an-
timension for the Petra Sacra since Canon 823, § 2 remains in force.

26 For new trends in Latin Liturgical Law in regard to fixed and moveable
altars, cfr. below, pp. 225-228.

CHAPTER TWO

PRESENT CONCEPT AND TERMINOLOGY

I. There can be little doubt that the Latin Rite antimensium imi-
tates that of the Byzantine Rite not only in name but also in concept,
for like its Constantinopolitan counterpart, it is a cloth, sanctified by a
Bishop, and containing relics ; however, although they share these essen-
tials, they are dis-similar in many other (accidental) particulars, as we
will see. Father Gutierrerz writes :

"This Latin (blessed) cloth imitates in a certain manner the
Oriental Antimension ; nevertheless the former differs substan-
tially 1 from the latter in that it substitutes only for the por-
table altar because : 'all other things must be observed according
to the rubrics, especially as regards the use of altar cloths
and a corporal V 2

1 This difference would seem to be accident rather than substantial since
it regards merely the rubrics for the use of the antimension. As a matter of fact,
the rescripts granting the use of the Byzantine Antimension to Latin Rite Bish-
ops and Priests often have the same clause. Cfr. examplars of indults in Ap-
pendix I, pp. 300—301.

2 A. Gutierrez, "De Linteo Benedicto Loco Altaris Portatilis pro Mis-
sionariis", Commentarium pro Religiosis et Missionariis, 34 (1955), p. 288 : "Hoc
linteum latinum quommodo imitatur antimensium orientale ; tamen substan-
tialiter ab eo differt, quia tantum substituit petram sacram : 'servatis de cetero
servandis iuxta Rubricas, praesertim quoad tobaleas et corporale'." Similarly,
Ayala Lopez, op. cit., p. 246 : "There is a fundamental difference between the
Latin antimensium and the Greek antimension, to which paragraph 2 of canon
288 (sic - read canon 823) refers. Certainly it preserves great similarities with it
in its external form, since from the Greek antimension were copied not a few
of its particulars ; but its symbolism and constitutive blessing make them differ
radically, so that in its profound signification it is something eDtirely distinct." -
"Tiene una differencia fundamental con el antimensio griego, a que se refiere el
paragrafo 2 del canon 288. Cierto es que conserva grandes analogias en la forma
externa, ya que de el se copiaron non pocas de las particularidades de la anti-

184

Father Xavier Paventi intimates that there was a certain amount
of polemic against this innovation in the Latin Rite :

"With the granting of this concession 3 there was introduced
into the Latin liturgy an innovation against which not a few
took up arms but in a mistaken cause, and now also the Latin
Church has its antimensium..." 4

2. Apropos the terminology in regard to the Latin Rite antimen-
sium, two names are used, one a technical term borrowed from the Greek
liturgy, antimensium latinum, and the other a rather cumbersome de-
scription: "Linteum benedicum loco altaris portatilis."

Antimensium or antimensium latinum is borrowed from the Greek
avTip)v<nov (antimension) . 5 Thus Paventi says : "This type of (sacred)
cloth we may with perfect right call the antimensium latinum." 6 Father

mensa ; mas el simbolisrao y la benediction constituiva le hacen variar radical-
mente en lo formal, como algo totalmente distinto en su alta significacion." ;
Cosmas Sartori, o.f.m., Iuris Missionarii Elementa, Roma : Libreria S. Antonio,
195 1, p. 97 : "This cloth is not to be confused in any way with the Greek anti-
mension, upon which Latin Rite priests are forbidden to celebrate (can. 823, 2)
and which prohibition remains in force : they differ in form and blessing." "Hoc
linteum nullo modo confundendum est cum Graecorum antimensiis, in quibus
sacerdotes ritus Latini celebrare nequeunt (can. 823, 2), quae prohibitio manet ;
differt ab iis et forma et benedictione." Joachim Nabuco, Pontificalis Romani
Expositio Iuridico-Practica, Functiones Pontificates Extraordinariae (Editio se-
cunda iuxta novam editionem Pontificalis Romani rivisa), Tournai : Desclee &
Co., 1962, p. 562 intitles his section on the Blessing of the Latin antimensium :
"Ritus Benedicendi Linteum Ex Lino Vel Cannabe Confectum Ad Instar An-
timensii."

8 I.e. Indult to use antimensium granted to military chaplains and mis-
sionaries.

4 Xaverius Paventi, "Quaestiones de lure Missionali", Ephemerides Iuris
Canonici, 3 (1947), p. 250 : "Concessio data introducebat in liturgiam latinam
aliquam innovationem contra quern non pauci insurrexerunt, sed perperam, et
nunc etiam ecclesia latina habet suum antimensium...". Cfr. also Ayala Lopez,
op. cit., p. 243. Duffy, op. cit., p. 47, says : "This 'linteum' is something quite
new in the Latin Church ; the first time it is officially referred to in the Liturgical
Books is in n. 525 of the 'Novus Rubricarum Codex'." ; for Codex Rubricarum,
vid. below, p. 207, note 2.

5 Cfr. above, pp. 23-26.

6 Xaverius Paventi, Breviarium Iuris Missionalis (editio secunda valde
auctus), Rome : Officium Libri Catholici, 1961, pp. 32-33 : "Linteum id genus
Optimo iure vocare possumus antimensium latinum."

1*5

Manuel Ayala Lopez opts for the form antimensa as more in conformity
with the phonetics of the Latin language, 7 while Father Ignatius Ting
Pong Lee notes that "the name antimensium latinum is a foreign intrusion
because this institution as such was until now utterly unknown in th
Latin Church. " 8 Be this as it may, the term "latin antimensium" has
unequivocally entered into the technical language of the Latin Church,
and it is called such in official liturgical sources such as the Codex Ru-
bricarum 9 and the Pontificate Romanum, 10 and in the commentaries of
canonical writers such as Fathers Belluco, 11 Bouscaren, 12 Buijs, 13
Cracco, 14 Duffy, 15 Nabuco, 16 Paventi, 17 and Regatillo. 18

7 Ayala Lopez, op. cit., p. 244 : "...el cual puede llamarse antimensa, mas
en conformidad con la fonetica latina."

8 Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., p. 140, note 294 : "Ex similitudine quam pre-
fert huiusmodi linteum cum Antimensiis Graecorum, a nonnullis vocatum fuit
Antimensium Latinum. Etsi in scopo et in confectione similitudo obvia est,
nomen vere est allogenum quia institutum qua tale prorsus ignotum est in Ec-
clesia Latina."

9 I.e. Motu Proprio Rubricarum Instructio of Pope John XXIII, July 25,
i960, as in A AS 52 (i960), 593-740, caput XI, De Preparatione Altaris ad Mis-
sam, p. 685, ("canon") no. 525 : "525. Altare, in quo sacrosanctum Missae Sacri-
ficium celebrandum est, debet esse totum lapideam, rite consecratum ; vel sal-
tern habere debet tabulam lapideam, seu petram sacram, item rite consecratum,
quae tam ampla sit ut hostiam et maiorem partem calicis capiat ; aut etiam, ex
indulto apostolico, antimensium, rite benedictum."

10 Pontificate Romanum, Pars Secunda (editib typica emendata), Rome :
Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1961, pp. 110-111, 139. In the index it is simply
entitled "Benedictio antimensii" ; in the title of the formula for the blessing the
full name used is : "BENEDICTIO ANTIMENSII SEU LINTEI LOCO TA-
BULAE IN CELEBRATIONE MISSAE ADHIBENDI EX APOSTOLICO
INDULTO."

11 Belluco, Novissimae Ordinariorum Locorum Facultates, op. cit., pp. 84-
87 ; Facultates Superiorum Religiosorum, op. cit., p. 62.

12 C.L. Digest, III, pp. 361-363, ad can. 822.

13 Buijs, Facultates Ordinariorum et Legatorum, etc., op. cit., pp. 50 ;
Facultates Religiosorum, op. cit., p. 47.

14 Amadeo Cracco, Breve Corso di Missionologia (2nd ed.), Padua : Mis-
sioni Francescane, 1964, p. 240.

15 Duffy, op. cit., pp. 46-47.
18 Nabuco, loc. cit.

17 Paventi, "Quaestiones de lure Missionali", loc. cit., Breviarium Iuris
Missionalis, loc. cit.

18 Edward F. Regatillo, Ius Sacramentarium, (4th ed.), Santander :
Editorial Sal Terrae, 1964, no. 246, p. 156.

i86

In regard to the descriptive names for the Latin antimensium, the
text for its blessing in the Pontificate Romanum is entitled "Benedictio
Antimensii seu Lintei Loco Tabulae in Celebratione Missae Adhibendi," 19
and in the text of the blessing originally approved by the Sacred Con-
gregation of Rites on March 12, 1947, and appended to the formulae of
various faculties for missionaries, etc., the title is "Benedictio Lintei loco
altaris portatilis a missionalibus dumtaxat adhibendi pro celebratione
Missae." 20 In Pastorale Munus it is called "linteum, ab Episcopo be-
nedictum, in cuius angulo dextro sint reconditae reliquiae Sanctorum
Martyrum, pariter ab Episcopo recognitae." 21 Some other descriptive
names used in Pontifical and by authors of commentaries incorporating
one or the other notes of the form or use of the Latin antimensium are :
sacrum linteum in vicem altaris portatilis," 22 "linteum loco altaris por-
tatilis," 23 "linteum ab episcopo benedictum," 24 "linteum benedictum,"25
etc. The defect of these descriptive names is that "linteum" can really
refer to any of the altar cloths or linens and hence descriptive clauses,
more or less long and unwieldy must be added to it. For that reason the
use of the term antimensium latinum, although originally extraneous to
the Latin tongue, is preferable as being exact and facile ; further discussion
must be left to the philologists and linguistic purists.

19 Pontificate Romanum, loc. cit., the 1952 edition of the Rituale Romanum,
tit. IX, cap. IX, Reserved Blessing no. 21 carries the title "RITUS BENE-
DICENDI LINTEUM EX LINO VEL CANNABAE CONFECTUM quod ex
speciali Indulto Apostolico loco petrae seu altaris portatilis in regionibus Missio-
num in celebratione Missae adhiberi valeat." ; it is to be presumed that in the
next future edition of the Rituale Romanum the title of this blessing (as well as
the text ; cfr. below, p. 203) will be revised and brought in accordance with the
Pontificate Romanum.

20 Cfr. AOFM, 71 (1952), p. 247; Buijs, Facultates Or dinariorum et Legato-
rum, etc. op. cit., pp. 51-52 ; Commentarium pro Religiosis et Missionariis, 34
(x955)» P- 2QO> C.L. Digest, loc. cit., Ephemerides Liturgicae, 62 (1948), pp. 381-
384 ; II Monitore Ecclesiastico, 73 (1948), pp. 188-189 ; Paventi, Breviarium
Iuris Missionalis, op. cit., pp. 33-34.

21 Pastorale Munus, I, no. 9 ; for text cfr. above, p. 180.

22 Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., p. 138.

23 C.L. Digest, loc. cit., 1961-1970 Decennial Faculties of S.C. de Propa-
ganda Fide, A., no 6, for text cfr. below, p. 217.

24 Decretum de Facultatibus et Gratiis Pro America Latina et pro Insulis
Philippinis, S. Congr. Consistorialis, August 8, 1959, (AAS, 51 (1959), pp. 915-
918), no. 10 (for text, cfr. below, p. 219) ; Buijs, loc. cit.

26 Belluco, loc. cit.

CHAPTER THREE

THE OUTWARD FORM OF THE LATIN ANTIMENSIUM

We have already noted 1 that the Byzantine and Latin forms of
the antimensium share some similarities in their external characteristic 3
and differ in others. At this point we turn our attention to the Latin
Rite antimensium in order to examine its format in regard to the mate-
rial from which it is made, its dimensions, the inclusion of relics in it,
then the formalities of its blessing, and finally the use of the antimensium
latinum.

I. Material

1. The Latin Rite antimensium is a cloth, 2 and the material pre-
scribed for this cloth is either linen or hemp ("ex lino vel cannabe"). This
prescription is included in the title of the blessing of the antimentium
latinum found in the Rituale Romanum, 3 and is specified also in faculty
number 6 of the 1961-1970 Decennial Faculties of the Sacred Congrega-
tion for the Propagation of the Faith, 4 and in faculty number 10 of the
1959-1969 Faculties for Latin America and the Philippine Islands granted

1 Cfr. above, pp. 183 ff.

2 The term linteum used to denote the Latin antimension, as discussed
above, p. 186, is a term which may refer to any of the sacred cloths without
necessarily being charged with the particular significance of it being made of
linen material, (just as we use the term "table linens", in common parlance to
refer to any of the cloths used at the table, even if made of silk, satin, cotton,
muslin, or any other material as well as linen otherwise it would be redundant
to speak of a "linteum ex lino confectum" and incorrect to use the phrase "lin-
teum ex cannabe confectum".

3 Cfr. above, p. 186.

4 For text, cfr. below, p. 217.

i88

by the Sacred Consistorial Congregation. 5 The requirement that the
Latin antimensium be made of linen or hemp is noted also by the authors,
Fathers Belluco, 6 Bouscaren, 7 Buijs, 8 Duffy, 9 Paventi, 10 and Ting
Pong Lee. 11

2. The long-standing tradition of the Latin Church 12 has been
to use linen as the material from which the corporal and altar cloths
are to be made. Thus the Bolognese monk Gratian in his collection of
Canon Law called the Decretum Gratiani (compiled between 1139 and
1159 A.D.) 13 and assumed into the Corpus Juris Canonici of the Latin
Church, reports the following canon, which he attributes to Pope St. Syl-
vester (d. 335) :

"After having consulted all authorities, we declare that no
one may presume to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass on a
silk cloth or dyed wool, but rather on a pure linen (cloth) con-
secrated by a Bishop, that is woven from flax brought forth
from the earth ; for the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ was
buried in a clean linen cloth." 14

6 For text, cfr. below, p. 219.

6 Belluco, Novissime Ordinariorum Locorum Facilitates, op. cit., p. 85.

7 C.L. Digest, III, pp. 361-363, ad can. 822.

8 Buijs, Facilitates Ordinariorum et Legatorum, etc., op. cit., p. 50 ; Fa-
cilitates Religiosorum, op. cit., p. 48.

9 Duffy, op. cit., pp. 45-47.

10 Paventi, Breviarium Juris Missionalis, op. cit., p. 33.

11 Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., p. 140.

12 However, we have seen a similar tradition and symbolism of linen winding
sheet of Christ in the Byzantine Church ; cfr. above, pp. 34 ff.

13 Cfr. Cicognani, op. cit., p. 275 ; the Decretum Gratiani, though enjoying
great prestige in the Latin church and valuable as an historical source of tradi-
tion at least for the time at which it was compiled, remains a private and not an
authentic collection. Cfr. Ibidem, pp. 287-288.

14 C. 46, d. 1, de cons. : "Consulto omnium constituimus ut sacrificium
altaris non in serico panno aut intincto quisquam celebrare missam praesumat,
sed in puro lino ab episcopo c/msecrato, terreno scilicet lino procreato atque
contexto ; sicut corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi in sindone munda sepultum
fuit." The Liber Pontificalis (ed. Mommsen), torn I, p. 51, in regard to St. Syl-
vester carries substantially the same notice : "Hie constituit, ut sacrificium
altaris non in sericum neque in pannum tinctum celebrari, nisi tantum in lineum
terrenum procreatum, sicut corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi in sindonem li-
neam mundum sepultus est." the word order in the latter, "non in sericum neque
in pannum tinctum", seems to make more sense, it also adds the qualifications

i8g

This canon is almost certainly spurious and therefore we cannot
with certainty speak of a IV century tradition of using linen for the
cloths used for the celebration of the Mass ; the most we can say is that
it was probably already an old tradition by the XII century when Gra-
tian included it in his Decretum. 15 Up until the present time, the Holy
See has always insisted that the corporal and altar cloths under normal
circumstances be woven of linen and although more recently the use of
hemp was permitted, other materials remained forbidden without a
special Apostolic Indult. 16 Although in particular cases permission to
use other materials for the corporal and altar cloths was given, and then
only rarely, a general indult was never given 17 until the present time
when in the 1 961-1970 Decennial Faculties for missionaries under the
direct jurisdiction of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the
Faith, we find the faculty given to Ordinaries :

"III. Permitting the use of liturgical vestments and altar
cloths made from cotton, or, with the exception of the corporal,
pall and purificator, from any other fitting material." 18

"in sindonem lineam" which seems superfluous for the Synoptics Matthew 27 :
59 ; Mark 16 : 46 ; Luke 23 : 53 use the word otvStov (sindon : "winding sheet")
and John (19 : 40) uses the word ' 606viov (othonion) ("linen sheet") synono-
mously. Cfr. also glossa s.v. consulto on c. 46, d. 1, de cons.

15 Cfr. Martimort, op. cit., p. 369 ; J. Deshusses, "Corporal", DDC, IV,
colos. 607-610 ; H. Leclercq "Corporal", DACL, IIIB, cols. 2986-2987 ; Mar-
timort, op. cit., pp. 299, 337, 369 ; Rhigetti, op. cit., I, pp. 532-535 ; Erwin
L. Sadlowski, Sacred Furnishings of Churches, Washington, D.C. : The Catholic
University of America Press (Canon Law Studies no. 315), 1951, pp. 3-4, 12,
105-106, 126-127.

16 Decreta Authentica Congr. SS. Rituum, nn. 1287, 2600, 2737, 3387,
3455. 3868, 3995-

17 Thus the S.C. of Rites in a letter to the Bishop of Vicenza, Italy (as in
Ephemerides Liturgicae, 56 (1942), p. 30) : "This Sacred Congregation... has al-
ways refused to give a general indult, wishing to keep firm and unchanged the
traditional law which does not admit of any textiles other than the aforemen-
tioned (linen and hemp)" - "Questa S. Congregazione... sempre si e ricusata di
concedere un indulto generale, volendo tener ferma ed immutata la tradizionale
legge che non ammette altri tessuti fuori degli accennati..."

18 S. Congregatio de Propaganda Fide Protocol Number 2150/60, Formula
Facultatum Decennalum, A., "11. Permittendi ut adhibenatur paramenta, vestes
sacrae et mappae altaris, confecto ex gossypio vel, exclusis corporalibus, pallis
et purificatoriis, ex alia materia, quae deceat." For commentaries on this fa-
culty, cfr. Buijs, Facultates Ordinariorum et Legatorum, etc., op. cit., pp. 57-58;
Hermes Peeters, Facultates Quas Ordinarii Et Missionarii Habere Solent Cum

Thus, Fr. Ting Pong Lee seems to have logic on his side when he
says apropos the material to be used for the antimensium latinum :

"This sacred cloth must be made from linen. The predelic-
tion of the Latin Church for linen is ancient. However, in this
specific faculty, if we prescind from a certain general reverence
for tradition, it is difficult to understand the reason for the in-
sistence on linen when this material was prescribed above all
for the accessories which came into direct, or nearly so, con-
contact with the Sacred Eucharist, especially now that even
these altar cloths may be made from other fitting materials...
Since now these same sacred cloths may be made from cotton
(faculty II), it is not apparent why these other materials may
not be used (for the Latin antimensium)." 19

In other words, if even those altar cloths which come into intimate
contact with the Holy Eucharist can be made from cotton, or (with the
exception of the corpral, pall and purificator) from any other fitting
material, why cannot the antimensium, which does not contact the
Eucharist (it lies under three altar cloths and a corporal) be made from
cotton or other material 20 which is decent and serviceable ? Of course
here there is room for further evolution in the comparatively short his-
tory of the legislation concerning the Latin antimensium ; as a matter
of fact, its blessing 21 as inserted in the 1961 Pontificate Romanum, Part. IIa,
other than calling it a "linteum" 22 does not refer in any way to the
material from which it is made, unlike the sources referred to above, 28
thus leaving the field clear for further modification. Likewise, the faculty
for the use of the antimensium latinum given in the Motu Proprio Pasto-
rale Munus, 24 unlike similar faculties previously given for the missions,25
calls it a 'Tinteum" without further specifying the material from which
it is made.

Brevi Commentaria (3rd revised edition), Rome : Pontiricium Athenaeum Anto-
nianum (Biblioteca Pontificii Athenaei Antoniani n. 10), i960, p. 63 ; Ting
Pong Lee, op. cit., pp. 152-156.

19 Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., p. 140, N.B. : the Latin antimensium replaces
only the altar stone and, unlike its Byzantine analog, is never used as a cor-
poral or altar cloth and so does not come into contact with the Eucharist.

20 E.g. some of the modern synthetic fabrics which combine the qualities
of being robust, soil resistant, and insect and mildew-proof.

21 Cfr. below, p. 197 ff.

22 Cfr. above, p. 185, note 10, and p. 187, note 2.

23 Cfr. pp. 187 ff.

24 For text, cfr. below, p. 212.
26 Cfr. above, p. 177.

I9i

3. At present, the antimensium should be made of a quality of
linen or hemp which is chosen for its sturdiness 26 rather than its fineness
(since it will be hidden and not in intimate contact with the Sacred
Eucharist) and which can be easily washed when soiled. Nothing is
specified as to color.

II. Dimensions

i. In regard to the size and shape of the Latin antimensium nothing
is prescribed. Since by custom the other altar linens and the stone altar,
whether fixed or portable, are all rectangular, it is fitting that the anti-
mensium be also rectangular, either square or oblong. 27 Father Joachim
Nabuco thinks that the antimensium latinum should be square in imita-
tion of the corporal, 28 but Father Ignatius Ting Pong Lee rightly re-
marks that nothing has been prescribed as to whether the antimensium
should be oblong or square. 29 There are quite a number of authors who
gratuitously assert that the Latin antimensium should or does have the
same format as the corporal ; of this opinion are Fathers Belluco, 30
Buijs, 31 Duffy, 32 Nabuco, 33 and Paventi. 34 This is unusual from the
point of view that the antimensium latinum, unlike its Byzantine coun-
terpart, never fulfills the functions of the corporal and must be used

26 Cfr. Nabuco, op. cit., p. 563. It would seem better not to have the an-
timensium starched, or at least not heavily so, for this may lead to difficulties in
folding for carrying (for missionaries) or to eventual cracking of the material.

27 Cfr. Bliley, op. cit., pp. 58, 98 ; Sadlowski, op. cit., p. 126.

28 Nabuco, op. cit., p. 563 : "Linteum conrici debet quadratum ad instar
corporalis et sit compactum seu solidum."

29 Ting Pong Lee, op. cit. , p. 140 : "Quoad formam externam nihil refert
an linteum sit rectangulare vel quadratum."

30 Belluco, Novissimae Ordinariorum Locorum Facultates, op. cit., p. 85 :
"...antimensium latinum... constat velo linteo confecto ex lino vel cannabe, cuius
amplitudo eadem esse potest ac communis corporalis."

31 Buijs, Facultates Religiosorum, op. cit., p. 48 : "Potest esse quoque
eiusdem formae ac magnitudinem ac corporale ordinarium."

32 Duffy, op. cit., pp. 45-46, speaking of the 1947 rescript of the S. Con-
gregation for the Propagation of the Faith in favor of missionaries: "This cloth
was about the same size as a corporal."

33 Nabuco, loc. cit.

34 Paventi, Breviarium Iuris Missionalis, op. cit., p. 33 : "Constat velo
linteo confecto ex lino vel cannabe, cuius amplitudo eadem esse potest ac ilia com-
munis corporalis."

192

under three altar cloths and a distinct corporal. 35 Father Ting Pong
Lee is the only author who gives a reason when he suggests that the
antimensium be the same size and shape as the corporal :

"For convenience's sake, that counsel will be found excellent
which suggests that the antimensium be made of the same form
and amplitude as are commonly used for the corporal, so that
it may be folded up and placed in the burse together with the
folded corporal." 36

As a matter of fact, however, nothing is prescribed in the canons
or rubrics as to the shape and size of the corporal, 37 although those in
common use are usually white linen squares of about 20 inches (50 cm.)
on each side, 38 when unfolded. When not in use, the corporal is folded four
times (bottom 1/3, top 1/3, right 1/3, finally left 1/3) 39 into a square of
about 31/3 inches (8.4 cm.) to a side.

2. In any case, since the antimensium is meant to substitute for
the portable altar stone, we may follow canon 1198, 3 of the Codex Iuris
Canonici 40 and canon 525 of the Codex Rubricarum 41 which specify that:

"The portable altar stone is to be large enough so that at
least the host (altar bread) 42 and the greater part of the chalice
may be placed on it."

35 Cfr. below, pp. 207 ff.

36 Ting Pong Lee, loc. cit. : "Ad commoditatem vero optimum erit con-
silium linteum ita conficere quoad formam et amplitudinem ut mensura coaequat
corporalibus communi usu receptis, ut simul complicari possint reponique in

capsa."

37 Sadlowski, op. cit., p. 126 : "Neither the rubrics nor the Decrees of the
Sacred Congregation of Rites contain any prescriptions regarding the form or
size of these linens."

38 Ibidem.

39 Cfr. Caeremoniale Romano-Seraphicum Ordinis Fratrum Minorum (edi-
tio altera), Quaracchi : Tipografia S. Bonaventura, 1927, pp. 133, 154 ; Joseph
Wuest, Matters Liturgical (9th ed. translated by Thomas W. Mullaney, re-
arranged and enlarged by William T. Barry), New York : Frederick Pustet
Company, 1956, no. 138, L., p. 228.

40 "Can. 1 198, 3. Petra sacra sit tarn ampla ut saltern hostiam et maiorem
partem calicis capiat."

41 For text, cfr. above, p. 185, note 9.

42 At the time that the CIC (191 7) and the Codex Rubricarum (i960) were
written, the rubrics of the Roman Rite Mass prescribed that the host lie on the
corporal itself from the Offertory of the Mass until the Fraction ; since that time,

193

Thus the size of the petra sacra (and therefore the antimensium)
are relative to the size of the paten and chalice, with enough room left
over to place a ciborium 43 containing particles to be consecrated when
this is needed. Since the antimensium is easily folded and carried, it is
fitting that the dimensions be made generous enough so that the paten,
chalice and ciborium are always entirely contained in the space over it,
with enough leeway left for the liturgical actions of kissing the altar,
displacing the chalice to bring the ciborium near the host at the con-
secration, etc. If it is of the same dimensions as the corporal, 44 the
celebrant will always be sure that he is celebrating over the sanctified
part of the altar, that is with the corporal superimposed upon the anti-
mensium which lies separated from it under the three altar cloths. 45

III. Inclusion of Relics

We have seen 46 that the first inchoate Latin Rite antimensium
did not have Relics, but that the presence of Relics was soon required.
There can be not doubt that at the present time the presence of Relics in
the Latin antimensium is necessary for the validity of its blessing and
the liceity of its use. 47 Since the antimensium substitutes for the petra

the rubrics have been changed so that the host lies on the paten placed on the
corporal from the Offertory until the Communion and so space must be calcu-
lated for the paten also. Cfr. Instructio Altera Ad Exsecutionem Constitutionibus
De Sacra Liturgia Recte Ordinandam Sacred Congregation of Rites, May 4, 1967,
III, 9. Text in Notitiae, 3 (1967), pp. 169-194, for new rubrics concerning use
of paten. Also Missale Romanum (igjo), op. cit., pp. 51, 390, 451, 457, 462, 469,
473, 474. Therefore it must be big enough to accomodate paten, larger than host.

43 Cfr. Bliley, op. cit., p. 98. On p. 99 Dom Bliley gives examples of va-
rious portable altar stones ranging in size from 14 inches square (and 2 inches
thick !) to 12 x 12 inches (30 cm. x 30 cm.) but the present writer has seen a
petra sacra measuring 5 inches square (12.5 cm. x 12.5 cm.).

44 Although the above mentioned authors, p. 191, do not mention this as
a reason.

45 The Latin Rite antimensia distributed on request by the Vicariate of
Rome, at the time of this writing, May 1968, measure 12 inches by 12 inches
(30 cm. x 30 cm.) ; the present writer has in his possession an antimensium la-
tinum originating from the Vicariate of Rome in 1964 which measures 17 34
inches by 17 34 inches (44 cm. x 44 cm.), which would seem to be more practical
than the former. Cfr. below, p. 313.

46 Cfr. above, p. 175 ff.

47 Cfr. Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., p. 141. However, cfr. below, pp. 225-228.

14 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

194

sacra, Father Ignatius Ting Pong Lee opines that "Even though this is
nowhere expressly mentioned, it is appropriate to follow the same disci-
pline as prescribed for stone altars." 48 We will have occasion to use this
principle as a supplementary source of law, following the dictum of
canon 20 of the CIC concerning analogy of law :

"Canon 20. If there is no explicit provision concerning some
matter in either the general or the particular law, a norm of
action is to be taken from laws given in similar cases, from the
general principals of law applied with equity proper to Canon
Law, from the manner and practice of the Roman Curia, and
from the common and constant teaching of approved authors/'49

We may distinguish two elements apropos the Relics required for
the antimension : 1) the qualities of the Relics themselves, and 2) the
formalities to be observed in their inclusion in the antimension (authenti-
cation, etc.).

1. In regard to the qualities of the Relics, these portions must be from
the bodies of canonized Saints and not merely of Blesseds, because the texts
of the Pontifical, Ritual and other sources concerning the antimensium refer
only to Relics of Saints, 50 and furthermore, this is the practice of the
Latin Church with regard to fixed consecrated altars and portable altar
stones. 51 These Saints must be Martyrs ; this is not always mentioned
in the faculties describing the antimensium, 52 but it is required by the

48 Ibidem ; cfr. also Belluco, Novissimae Ordinariorum Locorum Facili-
tates, op. cit., p. 85 ; Buijs, Facultates Ordinariorum et Legatorum, etc., op. cit.,
p. 51 ; Buijs, Facultates Religiosorum, op. cit., p. 48.

49 Can. 20. "Si certa de re desit expressum praescriptum legis sive generalis
sive particularis, norma sumenda est, nisi agatur de poenis applicandis, a legibus
latis in similibus ; a generalibus iuris principiis cum aequitate canonica servatis ;
a stylo et praxi Curiae Romanae ; a communi constantique sententia doctorum."
English translation from Cicognani, op. cit., p. 622 ; for interpretation of this
canon, cfr. ibidem, pp. 622-627.

50 Pontificale Romanum, loc. cit., "Pontifex, postquam aliquas authenticas
reliquias sanctorum Martyrum recognoverit, eas in parvo quodam sacculo in-
cludit, quod in angulo dextero lintei benedicendi assuatur ; deinde linteum be-
nedicit, stans cum rochetto et stola alba, sine mitra dicens" : Rituale Romanum,
tit. IX, cap. IX, n. 21 (text of rubric same as in Pontifidale Romanum) ; the
texts of faculties cited above, pp. 169-171, 176, 179, 180 ; below, pp. 212, 217, 219.

61 Cfr. Bliley, op. cit., pp. 83, 105.

62 Cfr. the texts of the faculties cited above, pp. 284, 286, 287 and below,
PP- 349. 352. The relative faculty of Pastorale Munus specifies the relics of
Martyr Saints : cfr. above, p. 180. 1

195

rubrics of the Pontificate Romanum 63 and the Rituale Romanum 64 and
by the commentators. 55 However, Relics of other Saints who are not
classified as Martyrs may be added to the Relics of the Martyrs. 66 Using
analogy with the Latin Church's discipline regarding stone altars, Father
Ting Pong Lee distinguishes, in regard to the antimensium latinutn :
"For validity a Relic of one Martyr suffices, or of one Martyr together
with the Relics of Saints who are not Martyrs ; for liceity, however it is
required that the Relics be of at least two Martyrs." 57 These Relics must
be primary Relics (or so-called First Class Relics), i.e. portions of the actual
bodies 58 of the Holy Martyrs ; secondary relics, that is clothing or ob-
jects used by the Martyrs, or objects touched to their bodies, do not
suffice. 69

2. Regarding the formalities required, the Relics must be authentic
(doubtfully authentic Relics may not be used) 60 and recognized as such
by the Bishop or Local Ordinary who blesses the antimensium ; if a
Priest has been delegated 61 to bless the antimensium, he must use Relics
authenticated by an ecclesiastic competent to do so. 62 Father Ting
Pong Lee analyzes the formalities :

63 Cfr. above, p. 194, note 50.

54 Ibidem.

55 Cfr. Belluco, Novissimae Ordinariorum Locorum Facultates, op. ext.,
p. 85 ; Buijs, Facultates Ordinariorum et Legatorum, etc., op. cit., pp. 50-51 ;
Buijs, Facultates Religiosorum, op. cit., p. 48 ; Guiterrez, op. cit., p. 298 ; Na-
buco, op. cit., p. 563 ; Paventi, Breviarium Iuris Missionalis, op. cit., p. 33 ;
Ting Pong Lee, loc. cit.

56 Cfr. Guiterrez, loc. cit. ; Ting Pong Lee, loc. cit.

67 Ting Pong Lee, loc. cit. ; cfr. also Bliley, op. cit., p. 84.

58 Although they do not mention their reason, Belluco, loc. cit., and Buijs,
loc. cit., specify that these Relics be from the bones of the Martyrs ("ex ossibus");
However, any fragments of the body of the Martyr will suffice, but not the hair.
Cfr. Nabuco, op. cit., p. 430.

59 Cfr. Bliley, loc. cit. ; he also notes, ibidem, p. 83 that "one or more
relics of the same saint do not suffice".

60 Cfr. Bliley, op. cit., p. 85 ; Ting Pong Lee, loc. cit.

61 Cfr. below, p. 198 ff.

62 According to canon 1283 of the CIC, Cardinals of the Holy Roman
Church, Local Ordinaries, and ecclesiastics to whom the special faculty to do so
has been given by the Holy See, are competent authenticate Relics. According
to a reply of the Commission for the Authentic Interpretation of the Code of
Canon Law, July 17, 1933, (as in AAS 25 (1933) 345 ! C.L. Digest, I, p. 603 ad

196

"Indeed, we may distinguish two separate acts in the authen-
tication of the Relics : i) the judgement elicited and formed
regarding the authenticity of the Relics, taking into account
all the circumstances (the provenance of the Relics, whether
the annexed documents are credible, whether the wax seal
remains intact, whether the reliquary is unopened, etc.) ; 2) the
externalizing, in a public fashion, of this internal judgement,
by means of an authentic documents, after having closed and
sealed the reliquary. The ascertainment of the authenticity of
the Relics is the first act to be accomplished, and, unless I err,
this is to be done always by the Bishop who blesses the anti-
mensium, or altar, in the same process of inserting the Relics,
without it being necessary to perform the second act (authen-
tication by document and/or seal) if this has already been
accomplished by another Ordinary." 63

3. Once the Relics have been inspected as to authenticity and all
has been found to be in order, they are separately wrapped in paper or
parchment with their names 64 distinctly indicated 65 and, according to
the rubrics of the Liturgical books, placed in a small sack or pouch at-
tached to the right hand corner 66 of the antimension. The antimensium
is now ready to be blessed.

can. 1283) the Vicar General is not competent to authenticate Relics unless he
has a special mandate to do so from the Local Ordinary.

63 Ting Pong Lee, loc. cit., "Sane, duplex distingui potest actus in Reli-
quiarum authentications : 1) iudicium sibi efformare et elicere de authenticitate
Reliquiarum, perpensis omnibus circumstantiis et adiunctis (unde venerunt, an
documenta fide digna sint, an sigilla integra maneant, an theca inviolata, etc.) ;
2) hoc iudicium externe patefacere modo publico, per instrumentum authenticum,
postquam theca clausa et sigillo obsignata sit. Reliquias authentice recognoscere
est primum actum Complere et, ni fallor, semper ab Episcopo qui linteum, vel
altare, benedicit compleri debet in ipso actu repositionis, quin necessario actum
secundum adimplere debeat si iam ab alio Ordinario factus fuerit."

64 If Relics are certainly authentic, and of Martyrs, they may be used for
the antimensium, even if the exact names of the Saints to whom they pertain are
unknown : cfr. Bliley, op. cit., p. 85.

65 Cfr. Nabuco, loc. cit.

66 Cfr. above, p. 194, note 50. Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., p. 142, notes that
the specification of the right hand corner of the antimensium has no importance
as it depends upon which way the antimensium is turned. The sack containing
the relics must be firmly fastened or sewn to the antimentium but in such a
fashion that they may be removed for washing the antimensium latinum. In fact,
the antimensium has 2 right hand corners - Upper right hand corner and Lower
right hand corner.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE BLESSING OF THE LATIN ANTIMENSIUM

In reviewing the history of the antimensium latinum, we have
noted that the first form of the antimensium, as granted to the Mexican
Ordinaries 1 was a blessed cloth without Relics, and that subsequently
the form granted to the military chaplains 2 during the Second World
War was a "veil with Relics" but that nothing was required as to blessing.
Authors 3 opined that the obligatory blessing of the first, and the fitting
though not prescribed blessing of the second, were best fulfilled using
the common blessing for the corporal or altar cloths found in the Rituale
Romanum. 4

Today there can be no doubt as to the necessity for the blessing
of the antimensium, for Canon 525 of the Codex Rubricarum, 5 promul-
gated July 26, i960, requires that the antimensium be properly blessed.

1 Cfr. above, p. 175 ff.

2 Cfr. above, p. 169 ff.

3 Cfr. Ayala L6pez, op. cii., p. 244 : "Obtenida la facultad, no se serialba
bebendicion determinada liturgica. Pero entiendo que en tal caso era de apli-
cacion la consignada en el Ritual Romano, tit. VIII, cap. 21, Benedictio mappa-
rum seu tobalearum altaris ; o cap. 22, Benedictio pallae et corporalis." Pa-
venti, "Quaestiones de lure Missionali", op. cit., p. 250, is of the same opinion,
in regard to the antimensium used by military chaplains in the Second World War.

4 Cfr. above, p. 176, note 3. For an official translation of these prayers into
English, cfr. Collectio Rituum (ed. WTalter J. Scmitz), Milwaukee : The Bruce
Publishing Co., 1964, pp. 549-551 ; Phillip T. Weller, The Roman Ritual
(complete edition), Milwaukee : The Bruce Publishing Co., 1964, pp. 539-541-
The Collectio Rituum contains the blessings as they were at the time that Ayala
Lopez and Paventi wrote ; The Roman Ritual contains the blessings with the
revisions which were made in 1962. For a discussion of these blessings, cfr.
Sadlowski, op. cit., pp. 63-74, and passim.

5 For text, cfr. above, p. 185.

198

As to the form and text of the blessing, this had already been stabilized
by the Sacred Congregation of Rites 6 on March 12, 1947.

I. Minister of the Blessing

In the Rituale Romanum, there are contained the texts of certain
consecrations and bessings which are classified as reserved, that is, they
may be lawfully performed only by the Roman Pontiff, a Bishop, or a
specially authorized Priest. 7

Consecrations may be performed validly only by a Bishop or a
Priest enjoying a special indult to do so; 8 reserved blessings when im-
parted by an unauthorized Priest are always valid, unless this is speci-
fically denied by the Holy See in the act of reserving the blessing, but
he acts unlawfully. 9

1. There were a great number of blessings classified as reserved in
the Roman Ritual, but, with certain exceptions, most of these reserva-
tions were removed by article 77 of the Instruction for the Proper Imple-
mentation of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy 10 issued by the Sacred
Congregation of Rites on September 26, 1964 ; the blessing of the Latin
antimensium is one of the exceptions and remains a reserved blessing:

6 Cfr. C.L. Digest, III, pp. 362-363, IV, pp. 267-268 ; Weller, op. ext.,
P- 533-

7 Cfr. John Linus Paschang, The Sacramentals According to the Code of
Canon Law, Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press, 1925,
pp. 56-65 ; Eduardus F. Regatillo, Ius Sacramentatium (4th ed.), Santander :
Editorial "Sal Terrae", 1964, p. 946 ; Weller, op. cit., 393~394-

8 Cfr. Can. 1147 of CIC : "Can. 1147. § 1. Consecrationes nemo qui cha-
ractere episcopali careat, valide peragere potest, nisi vel iure vel apostolico in-
dulto id ei permittatur.

"§ 2. Benedictiones autem impetire potest quilibet presbyter, exceptis iis
qui Romano Pontifici aut Episcopis aliisve reserventur.

"§ 3. Benedictio reservata quae a presbytero detur sine necessaria licentia;
illicita est, sed valida, nisi in reservatione Sedes Apostolica aliud expresserit.

"§ 4. Diaconi et lectores illas tantum valida et licite benedictiones dare
possunt, quae ipsis expresse a iure permittuntur."

9 Cfr. Can. 1147, § 3, as in preceding note.

10 For full text and commentary, cfr. C. Braga, Instructio ad Exsecutio-
nem Constitutions De Sacra Liturgia Recte Ordinandam, Cum Commentario ,
Rome : Edizioni Liturgiche, 1964 ; this edition is an exerpt from Ephermerides
Liturgicae, vol. 78 (1964), 421-518.

199

"77- Blessings which have been reserved up to the present
time and which are contained in the Roman Ritual, tit. IX,
cap. 9, 10, 11, may be given by any Priest, with the exception
of the blessing of a bell for the use of a blessed church or oratory
(cap. 9, n. 11), the blessing of the first stone for the building of
a church (cap. 9, n. 16), the blessing of a new church or public
oratory (cap. 9, n. 17), the blessing of an antimension (cap. 9,
n. 21), the blessing of a new cemetery (cap. 9, n. 22), the papal
blessings (cap. 10, n. 1-3), and the blessing and erection of
the stations of the Way of the Cross (cap. 11, n. 1) inasmuch
as this is reserved to the Bishop." 11

2. Even before this Instruction was issued, it was certain that the
sanctification of an antimensium latinum partook of the nature of a blessing,
and was not a consecration ; this was known from a) the fact that there
was no unction with Sacred Chrism or other Holy Oil ; 12 b) in the new
Pontificate Romanum, the words "sanctificare et consecrare" were deleted
from the original text of the blessing, leaving only the word "benedicere ;" 13
the title of the text of the ceremony begins with the word "Benedic-
tio 14 and finally the opinions of eminent authors 15 who held that this
ceremony was a blessing and not a consecration. The importance of this
point is the fact that the blessing of the Latin antimensium will always
be valid, unless a special disposition in this regard is made by the Holy
See, as long as the special liturgical ceremony prescribed in the Liturgical
books is followed, 16 even though the minister of this blessing is a Priest

11 "77. Benedictiones usque adhuc reservatae, quae in Rituali Romano
tit. IX, cap. 9, 10 et 11 continentur, ab omni sacerdote impertiri possunt, ex-
ceptis benedictionibus campanae ad usum ecclesiae benedictae vel oratorii (cap. 9,
n. 11), primarii lapidis pro ecclesia aedificanda (cap. 9, n. 16), novae ecclesiae
seu oratorii publici (cap. 9, n. 22) et exceptis benedictionibus papalibus (cap. 10,
nn. 1-3), necnon benedictione et erectione stationum Viae Crucis, (cap. II, n. 1)
utpote Episcopo reservata." For commentary, cfr. Braga, op. ext., pp. 489-490.

12 Cfr. A. Betta, "De concessione antimensii missionariis latinis", Ephe-
merides Liturgicae, vol. 62 (1948), part II, p. 384 : "Est oratio deprecative et
quamvis adhibeatur verbum consecrare, tamen nulla fit consecratio seu unction";
Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., p. 345.

13 According to the principal used in the reformation of the Pontifical and
Ritual of omitting these words when there was no unction with Sacred Oil,
especially Chrism, prescribed. Cfr. Nabuco, op. cit., p. 563.

14 Cfr. Pontificate Romanum, loc. cit. ; Rituale Romanum, loc. cit.

15 Cfr. Betta, loc. cit. ; Montague, loc. cit. ; Ting Pong Lee, loc. cit.

16 Cfr. Canon 1148 of CIC : "Can. 1148. " 1. In Sacramentalibus confi-
ciendis seu administrandis accurate serventur ritus ab Ecclesia probati.

200

who has not been properly authorized. Thus an antimensium blessed
by an aunauthorized Priest through ignorance of the discipline in regard
to the reservation of same, or by one who disregards the same, 17 or in
case of necessity, is validly blessed and may be used by anyone enjoying
the faculty to do so for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.18
If it is certain that the proper ceremony has been followed, there should
never be any reason, on account of the lack of permission of the original
minister of the blessing, to re-bless the antimensium latinum either ab-
solutely or using a conditional intention.

3. Having established that fact, we now turn to the lawful minister
of the blessing. It is certain from the words of faculty 9 of part I of the
Motu Proprio Pastorale Munus 19 that any Bishop whatsoever may law-
fully bless a Latin antimensium. He need not be a Local Ordinary and
may perform this blessing in any territory whatsoever. 20 Since this
blessing is one of the ones reserved in the Rituale Romanum to Bishops

"§ 2. Consecrationes ac benedictiones sive constituivae sive invocativae
invalidae sunt, si adhibita non fuerit formula ab Ecclesia praescripta." For
commentary on this canon, cfr. Paschang, op. ext., pp. 66-69 i Regatillo,
op. cit., p. 947.

17 In regard to the gravity of the obligation of not bestowing a reserved
blessing without the required permission, unless there are especially aggravating
extrinsic circumstances, the obligation to abstain from this action is not a serious
one ; cfr. Iorio, op. cit., Ill, no. 43, p. 26. Since the blessing of the antimensium
without permission is always valid, it seems that there would not be required a
very grave reason to act without the delegation of the competent Superior, cir-
cumstances warranting this action for the good of the Priest and/or the faithful.
We may remark here that lawfulness concerns the morality of a human action
and hence regards the person who performs the blessing and not the object itself;
an antimensium blessed without the proper permission is simply a blessed anti-
mensium without any stigma of unlawfulness attached to it and may be used
freely by those authorized to do so.

18 As for example a missionary Priest who cannot have recourse to the
competent Superior who must celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the
faithful would do better to take a linen corporal, insert authentic Relics, and
bless this makeshift antimensium latinum rather than celebrate without any
altar at all contrary to the tradition of the Church and the prescriptions of Canon
Law and the Liturgical Books (cfr. especially Codex Rubricarum, n. 525, which
specifies at least a blessed antimensium, if no consecrated fixed or portable altar
stone is to be had; text above, p. 207. Per modum actus, cfr. below pp. 225-228.

19 For text, cfr. below, p. 212.

20 Cfr. Belluco, Novissimae Ordinariorum Locorum Facultates, op. cit.,
p. 85 ; also Paventi, Breviarium Iuris Missionalis, op. cit., p. 33.

201

and to Local Ordinaries, 21 it follows that any Local Ordinary, even if
he is a Priest and not a Bishop, may lawfully confer the blessing of an
antimensium latinum. Furthermore, according to No. 42 of the 1961 -
1970 Decennial Faculties 22 granted by the Sacred Congregation for th •
Propagation of the Faith to the Ordinaries of the territories under its
jurisdiction, these same ordinaries may grant, in case of necessity, to
at least a few Priests in their territories the faculty to lawfully bless
Latin antimensia. 23

II. Preparations necessary for the Blessing of Antimensium

Unlike its Byzantine counterpart, it is nowhere required that ihi
Latin antimensium be placed on a consecrated fixed altar to be blessed ;
it may be blessed in any suitable place and on any decent table or surface.24

21 Rituale Romanum (1952 edition), titulus IX, caput IX "BEXEDIC-
TIONES RESERVATAE EPISCOPIS ALIIASQUE ORDINARIIS, ET SA-
CERDOTIBUS SPECIALI FACULTATE IXSTRUCTIS ;" the blessing of the
antimensium is n. 21 under this title.

22 "42. Conferendi uni alterive i.e. paucis ex sacerdotibus in casu neces-
sitatis facultatem consecrandi, iuxta formam in Pontificali Romano praescriptam,
calices, patenas et, iuxta formulam breviorem, altarium lapides, adhibitis tamen
oleis ab Episcopo benedicitas.

"Pariter conferendi facultatem benedicendi linteum secundum formulam
specialem in Rituali Romano contentam." For English translation, cfr. C.L.
Digest, V, pp. 181-182, where Father Bouscaren also makes the remark, in
note 5, p. 182 : "In the context, the Latin term linteum cannot mean anything
else than the antimensium." For detailed interpretation, cfr. Ting Pong Lee,
op. cit., pp. 344-346.

23 Father Hermes Peeters ofm., op. cit., p. 115, opines of this faculty : "Haec
benedictio Ordinarius omnibus sacerdotibus concedere potest ;" Father Buijs,
Facultates Ordinariorum et Legatorum, etc., p. 160, restricts it to a few priests
and within the territory of the Ordinary : "Potestas benedicendi linteum dari
potest paucis sacerdotibus et tantum in casu necessitatis : dicitur enim in facul-
tate 'pariter.' Sanctorum reliquiae debent esse recognitae ab aliquo Ordinario
loci. In casu necessitatis etiam Vicarius Generalis aut Vicarius delegatus linteum
benedicere potest. Benedictio fieri debet intra territorium Ordinarii facultatem
concedenti ;" Father Ignatius Ting Pong Lee, loc. cit. explains that Vicar
Apostolics can bestow this blessing always and everywhere, Prefects Apostolic,
Superiors of Missions "sui iuris," Vicars General and Vicars Delegate only within
their territories and during their tenure of office. Since "pariter" is meant only
as a connective, this permission may be given to many Priests and needs no
serious cause for its exercise : antimensia may be blessed and kept on hand
ready for eventual necessity.

24 Cfr. Nabuco, loc. cit.

202

The antimensia to be blessed are prepared with a small pouch in
the right-hand corner 25 ready to receive the authenticated Relics ; 26 the
Relics have been individually folded in parchment or paper or other
suitable material with the name of the Martyr to whom they pertain
clearly inscribed 27 ready to be inspected and inserted into the antimensia.

On a suitable table bearing two lighted candles, 28 are placed the
prepared antimensia, Relics, a vessel of ordinary Holy Water 29 and
sprinkler, and the text of the blessing.

The Minister of the benediction vests as usual in surplice and white
stole ; if he is a Bishop he does not wear the miter. 30

k5 Cfr. text of blessing below, Appendix I, p. 302. Also Nabuco, loc. cit. ;
as we have noted above, p. 196, note 66. Ting Pong Lee attributes scarce im-
portance to this rubric.

26 The Relics may have already been authenticated and sealed. The Vi-
cariate of Rome, at the time of this writing, May 1968, leaves the confection of
the antimensium and the authentication, wrapping, sealing, and insertion of the
relics to the cloistered Augustinian Nuns of the Monastery of Santa Lucia, Via
in Selci 82, Rome ; the particles of Relics are folded separately in pieces of or-
dinary paper, the names of the Martyrs to whom they pertain are written on the
folded paper, and the paper packets (measuring when folded about 1/2 x 3/4
inch - 0.7 cm. x 2 cm.) are then sealed with sealing-wax bearing the imprint
of the coat of arms of the Cardinal Vicar of Rome. These packets are then sewn
into a pouch made by adding a small triangle of cloth (hypotenuse 2 inches, (5 cm.)
long) to one corner of the cloth. One of the legs of the triangle thus formed is
hemmed and then only sewn loosely on one side in order that the stitches may
easily be cut to remove the Relics for washing antimensium latinum without
destroying the pouch. Cfr. photograph, Appendix II, p. 313.

27 The names of the Saints whose relics have been enclosed in the anti-
mensium are to be mentioned in the prayer of blessing.

28 Nabuco, loc. cit. ; this fitting out of respect to the Relics, but not
necessary.

29 I.e. not the special type of Holy Water called "Gregorian Water" used
in the consecration of fixed and portable stone altars ; here the common type
of Holy Water blessed with the formula of the Ritual Romanum, titulus IX, ca-
put II "Ordo ad faciendam aquam benedictam," is contemplated. If this blessing
is to be performed before the Assembly of the Faithful, for greater solemnity
the water could be blessed as a preliminary to ceremony of blessing the anti-
mensium.

30 Cfr. the rubric preliminary to the text of the blessing in the Pontificate
Romanum, pars II (emendata 1961), pp. no— ill.

203

III. The Ceremony of Blessing of Antimensium

1. Father Montague remarks apropos the rite for the blessing of
the Latin antimensium that "it bears no resemblance to the ceremony
of the consecration of an altar stone. " 31 This is true, for the blessing
of the antimensium is much shorter and simpler, using only one prayer
with the sprinkling of Holy Water, and there are no unctions with Sacred
Chrism as in the Latin rite consecration of fixed or portable altars, or a -
in the consecration of the Byzantine Antimension. 32

2. However the prayer used, which begins "Maiestatem tuam, -
mine," was one of the principal prayers formerly used, from at leas:
the XII century 33 until the revised Pontificate Romanum of 1961, 34 for
the consecration of fixed stone altars in the Latin Rite.

3. The minister of the blessing inserts the Relics into the pouches
prepared for them in the antimensia and closes these ; then, standing,
he initiates the prayers with "Adjutorium Nostrum" and "Dominus
vobiscum" with their responses, says "Oremus" and then the prayer of
blessing, "Maiestatem tuam, Domine." He makes the Sign of the Cross
over the antimensia at the word "benedicere" 35 and inserts the names
of the Martyrs (and other Saints, if added) whose Relics have been placed
in the antimensia into the appropriate place in the prayer. After the
prayer and its Amen, he sprinkles the antimensia with Holy Water.

31 G. Montague, "Use of the Antimension," Irish Ecclesiastical Record
(5th series), 73 (1950). P- 456.

32 Cfr. Betta, loc. cit.

33 Cfr. Michel Andrieu, Le Pontifical Romain au Moyen-Age (4 vols.),
Citta del Vaticano (Rome) : Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Studi e Tesi, nos.
86, 87, 88 & 89), 1938, 1940, 1940, 1941, vol. I, pp. 85, 191 ; vol. II, p. 437 :
vol. Ill, p. 493 ; vol. IV (Indices), p. 64.

34 The former Pontificate Romanum carried this prayer as the conclusion
of the consecratory preface ; the newly revised Pontificate Romanum retains the
consecratory preface but omits the prayer "Maiestatem tuam Domine" in the
consecration of fixed and portable stone altars. Cfr. Pontificate Romanum, pars
secunda, Rome : Typis Rev. Camerae Apostolicae Apud Salviuccios, 1S4S Do
Consecratione Altaris, p. 114; De Consecratione Altaris, quae fit sine Ecclesiae
dedicatione, p. 158. Pontificate Romanum, pars secunda (editio typica emen-
data), Rome : Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1961 : Ordo ad ecclesiam dedicandam
et consecrandam, p. 42 ; Ordo ad altare consecrandum sine ecclesiae dedicatione,
p. 71 ; Ordo ad altare portatile consecrandum, p. 84.

35 The Pontificate Romanum of 1961, p. no, omits the words "sanctiticare,

204

4. According to canon 1148, § 2, the blessing would be invalid if
the formula prescribed were not used. 36 Father Edward Regatillo doubts
that the sprinkling with Holy Water is necessary for the validity of the
blessing of sacramentals, but he admits that the common teaching of
canonical authors is that this sprinkling, where required by the text, is
essential for validity. 37 The wearing of surplice and stole are not ne-
cessary for the validity of the blessing because they do not pertain to the
formula prescribed. 38

IV. Loss of Blessing of Antimensium

According to canon 1305, § 1 of the CIC, 39 sacred furnishings lose
their blessing in any one of three ways : a) if they undergo such damage
or change that they lose their original form and are no longer fit for and
suitable for the purpose for which they were intended ; b) if they are

consecrare" found in the formula of the 1952 Rituale Romanum, titulus IX,
caput IX, n. 21, for the blessing of the antimensium ; this is in accordance with
the principle used in the revision of the Liturgical books according to which these
words are deleted when the ceremony is not a consecration, but rather a blessing
entailing no unction with Sacred Oil (especially Chrism). Nabuco, loc. cit., says
that these words are to be omitted if the Rituale Romanum is used for the text
of the blessing ; this does not seem to be necessary, for the present (1952) Ri-
tuale Romanum does not become obsolete until a new revised edition is published,
which has not as yet been done. In any case, it is of no great moment.

36 For text of can. 1148, § 2, cfr. above, pp. 199-200, note 16.

37 Regatillo, op. cit., p. 947 : "Aspersio aquae bendictae in benedictio-
nibus quandoque preascribitur, alias non. Si praescribitur communiter docent
doctores earn requiri ad valorem. Hoc tamen mihi dubium est, non enim videtur
stricte pertinere ad formulam, quae intelligitur verba. Praeterea, Rituale post
singulas benedictiones addit : 'Deinde aspergatur aqua benedicta ;' quasi diceret:
'iam est facta benedictio, sed ad complementum seu integritatem eiusdem asper-
gatur ;' "

38 Ibidem.

39 "Can. 1305. § 1. Sacra supplex benedicta aut consecrata benedictionem
aut consecrationem amittit :

Si tales laesiones vel mutationes subierit ut pristinam amiserit for-
mam, et aim ad suos usus non habeatur idonea ;

"20. Si ad usus indecoros adhibita vel publicae venditioni exposita fuerit."
For a detailed explanation of this canon, cfr. Paschang, op. cit. pp. 84-85 ;
Sadlowski, op. cit., pp. 72-74.

205

used for unbecoming purposes ; 40 c) if they are exposed for public sale. 41
The latter two instances, b) and c), are rather uncommon.

In a private reply, 42 the Sacred Congregation of Rites described
its present practice and norms of action :

"The antimensium Latinum loses its function finally when,
according to the common estimation, it is rendered 'inser-
viceable,' as for example if it has many rents and cannot any
longer be fittingly repaired : in such a case ; it is obvious that
the obligation remains to salvage the Relics." 43

and in regard to the repairing of an antimensium, the same document
states, "In the case where the antimensium becomes only partially torn,
it may be mended by any person whatsoever." 44 Thus, it would be wiser
to entrust the mending of the antimension to skilled feminine hands,
rather than have an inexperienced cleric attempt this process himself.

Furthermore, the Sacred Congregation states that the Latin anti-
mensium may be washed :

"The antimensium latinum, without any recourse to the
Bishop, may be washed, after the Relics are first removed, and
then subsequently re-sewn (re-fastened) to the antimensium." 45

40 Cfr. Sadlowski, op. cit., p. 73 where he says : "The mere profane use
of a sacred furnishing, although illicit, would not however entail execration.
The purpose that is served must be something unbecoming or sordid..."

41 Sadlowski, op. cit., p. 74, makes a distinction between public and pri-
vate sale, opining that private sale of a sacred furnishing does not entail its
execration.

42 October 20, 1967, Protocol Number 0.82/967. Cfr. below Appendix I,
P- 303, where the present author, because of paucity of legislation in regard to the
antimensium latinum asked the Sacred Congregation of Rites for clarification of
some moot points.

43 "40. Lo stesso Antimensio cessa infine la sua funzione, allorche, se-
condo la comune estimazione, si rendera 'inservibile' : a causa per esempio di
lacerazioni multiple e non piu decorosamente riparabili : in tal caso e ovvio che
rimanga l'obbligo del recupero delle reliquie."

44 "^o Nel caso di lacerazione parziale, pud essere da chiunque ram-
mendato."

45 "2o_ 11 detto Antimensio, senza far ricorso al Vescovo, pu6 essere la-
vato : dopo averne tolto le reliquie, che vi verranno poi ricucite." Cfr. also Na-
buco, op. cit., p. 563.

CHAPTER FIVE

THE USE OF THE LATIN RITE ANTIMENSIUM

Regarding the Latin Rite antimensium, we may distinguish in
the discipline concerning its use two elements : a) the material element,
or the legislation concerning how the antimensium is to be used and where;
b) the personal element, or the active and passive subjects and conditions
of use, i.e. who may grant permission to use the antimensium latinum, to
whom, and the circumstances in which this permission may be lawfully
exercised.

I. Material Element (How Used)

i. In the section entitled "Concerning the Preparation of the Altar
for Mass" in the Codex Rubricarum, 1 we find the following canon :

"526. The altar is to be covered with three altar cloths,
properly blessed, of which one is long enough so that it reaches
to the floor." 2

and the 1970 Missale Romanum now prescribes at least one altar cloth :

"260. Out of respect for the celebration of the Lord's memo-
rial and the banquet in which the Body and Blood of the Lord
are given, there should be at least one cloth on the altar. Its
shape, size, and adornment should be in keeping with the struc-
ture of the altar." 23

1 "Pars tertia, XI. De praeparatione altaris ad Missam." (AAS 52 (i960),
p' 685).

2 "526. Altare cooperiatur tribus tobaleis, rite benedictis, quarum una
ita oblonga sit ut, as latera, usque ad terram pertingat." Ibidem.

Official English translation from The Roman Missal : the Sacramentary,
Collegeville, Minnesota : The Liturgical Press, 1970. P- 4°- Original text from

2o8

and the latest revisions of the liturgical books still require a corporal. 3
There can be no doubt, therefore, that the liturgical discipline 4 of the
Latin church requires on all altars for the celebration of the Holy Sa-
crifice of the Mass at least one altar cloth and a corporal. The blessing
of these furnishings is no longer reserved 5 and may be performed by
any Priest.

The Latin Rite antimensium, although imitating in concept and
external form the essentials of its Byzantine antecedent, is meant to
replace only the altar stone (petra sacra) itself, is not conceived of as a
fully equipped altar or even church in miniature, as is the Greek anti-
mension, 6 and therefore must always, in ordinary circumstances and
according to present discipline, be used with the accounterments de-
scribed above, viz. an altar cloth and a corporal. 7 This is almost always
expressed in the general 8 or particular 9 indult granting permission
for the use of the antimensium, by adding the prescription : "All else
must be observed according to the rubrics, especially as regards the
altar cloths and corporal." 10 Regatillo considers that there is a grave
obligation to use at least one altar cloth and a corporal for the celebra-
tion of the Eucharist ; 11 in any case, the mind of the Church as explicitly

Missale Romanum (1970), Institute Generalis, V. De Ornatu Altaris, p. 77 :
"268. Ob reverentiam erga celebrationem memorialis Domini et erga convivium
in quo Corpus et Sanguis Domini praebentur, super altare saltern una tobale
ponatur, quae ad formam, mensuram, et ornatum quod attinet cum ipsius altaris
structura conveniat."

3 Cfr. below, p. 225, number 260. The use of the corporal is also mentioned
in the new Missale Romanum {1970) on pp. 39, n. 49; 50, n. 100 ; 51, nn. 102,
io3 » 53» n- 120 > 55> n- x38 ; 63, n. 202 ; 64, nn. 205, 206 ; 66, n. 221, 72, n. 247c ;
390, nn. 17, 19 ; 391, n. 21 ; 452, n. 92 ; 458, n. 105 ; 462, n. 113 ; 469, n. 121 ;
481, 11. 13; 482, nn. 14, 16; 486, n. 31.

4 For a detailed study of these requirements, cfr. Godley, op. cit., pp.
147-148 ; Sadlowski, op. cit., pp. 104-107, 126-128 and passim.

5 Cfr. above, p. 198 ff.

6 Cfr. above, p. 105 ff.

7 Cfr. Belluco, Novissimae Ordinariorum Locorum Facultates, op. cit,
p. 86 ; Nabuco, op. cit., p. 563, specifying linen or hemp, altar cloths because
under certain conditions these may be replaced by other materials and the cor-
porals may be made from cotton ; cfr. Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., pp. 152-156.

8 Cfr. below, p. 212 ff.

9 Cfr. below, p. 222 ff.

10 "Servatis de cetero servandis iuxta Rubricas, praesertim quoad tobaleas
et corporale."

11 Regatillo, op. cit., pp. 106-107, 157 ; the original reason for the mul-

209

expressed in the grants of the use of the antimensium is that in the Latin
Rite it be used with (under) the proper amount of altar cloths and a
corporal. 12 Father Joachim Nabuco specifies that when the antimensium
latinum is used, the Relics should be toward the anterior part of the
mensa ; 13 Father Ignatius Ting Pong Lee directs, and seemingly with
more logic, that the antimensium be used with the Relics in the upper
right-hand corner, i.e. towards the posterior part of the table used as
an altar, lest the small protuberance caused by the thickness of the Relic
pouch and its contents interfere with the sacred vessels. 14 This protu-
berance is usually so slight that it is difficult to imagine that under an
altar cloth and a corporal it would even be noticed, let alone interfere
with the sacred vessels ; in any case it is of scarce importance.

2. In regard to the circumstances in which the antimensium is
used a substitute for the petra sacra, it would be well to keep in mind
an Instruction regarding private oratories and portable altars etc. issued
by the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments on October i, 1949, and
directed to Local Ordinaries, containing the following directions :

'711), 7. The place where a portable altar is set up must
be appropriate and decent, or fitting and honorable, lest be-
cause of its unworthy and unbecoming character grave injury
and irreverance redound to the divine mysteries.

"An appropriate place demands security and space, so that
the Mass can be offered safely and conveniently without any
danger of profanation or of the spilling of the Precious Blood
from the chalice ; a decent place refers to the quality of the place,
that is, it demands that the Mass be not celebrated in a bedroom
where someone usually sleeps, nor in any other place unbefitting
the dignity of so great a Sacrifice. 15

tiplication of the altar cloths seems to have been to absorb any of the Precious
Blood accidentally spilled upon the altar. Cfr. Righetti, op. cit., I, pp. 532~535-

12 Cfr. Belluco, loc. cit. ; Buijs, Facultates Ordinariorum et Legatorum,
etc., op. cit., pp. 50, 258 ; Buijs, Facultates Religiosorum, op. cit., p. 48 ; Na-
cubo, loc. cit.

13 Nabuco, loc. cit. : "6. In Missae celebratione linteum adhibetur non
secus ac petra sacra, et ponitur subtus tobaleis, cum reliquiis in parte anteriori
mensae. Corporale super tobaleas extenditur prout de more."

14 Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., p. 142.

15 For an analysis of this disciplinary regulation cfr. Ignatius Ting Pong
Lee, "Commentarium in Rescriptum Pontificium 'Cum Admotae' - De Missa
in domo extra locca sacra," Commentarium pro Religiosis et Missionariis, 44
(1965), p. 65.

15 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

2IO

"Decency also concerns the immediate place, that is, the
table on which the portable altar is laid, that it be not unclean
nor devoted to profane uses. 16

This table must be of sufficient length and breadth to afford
safe support of the stone, 17 support for the Missal, and proper
and becoming celebration of the Mass." 18

3. A final consideration is whether the petra sacra is to be preferred
over the antimensium latinum when both are available. We have seen 19
that it is an ancient tradition of the Latin Church, with a very few ex-
ceptions, to celebrate only on stone altars. For this reason it would
seem that the petra sacra is to be preferred, all things being equal, to the
antimensium latinum. Furthermore, the blessed Latin antimensium is
meant to be a substitute for the solemnly consecrated 20 portable altar
stone, and a surrogate is not acceptable when the original object for
which it is a substitute is available. Finally, the general 21 and par-
ticular 22 indults given for the substitution of the antimensium for the
portable altar stone presuppose motives of unavailability of the petra
sacra or real inconvenience in its use. Of the few authors who treat of
this problem, Father Ignatius Ting Pong Lee, basing his opinion on the
ancient and venerable tradition of the Latin Church of celebrating only
on stone altars, believes that there is a serious obligation to use the petra
sacra when this is available, even if it must be removed from the stable
altar ("ad modum fixi"), 23 in preference to the Latin antimensium ; on
the other hand, Father Buijs (quoted verbatim by Father John Zam-
petti) 24 treating of the 1961-1970 Decennial Faculties for the mis-
sions, 25 says :

16 Duffy, op. cit., p. 40 paraphrases the Instruction of 1949 : "To the
worthiness or 'decentia' pertains also the more immediate place of celebration,
namely, the table on which the portable altar is supported ; this must be clean,
sufficiently large to give secure support to the altar-stone and missal, and not
destined for any kind of improper or irreligious uses."

17 "Quae tuto valeat lapidem regere."

18 C.L. Digest, III, p. 331 ; for Latin text cfr. AAS, 41 (1949), pp. 493 ff.

19 Cfr. above, pp. 18 ff.

20 Cfr. Martimort, op. cit., p. 661 for superiority of spiritual value of
consecrations over mere blessings.

21 Cfr. below, pp. 212-222.

22 Cfr. below, pp. 222-224.

23 Cfr. above, pp. 105-148.

24 John Zampetti, Facilitates Apostolicae, Shillong (India), 1961, pp. 33-34.

25 Cfr. below, pp. 21 7-1 18.

211

"It is required for the use of this faculty 'that no church
or public oratory is extant' : 26 the use' of this faculty is excluded
in churches and public oratories ; it is permitted in other places
only so long as there is a serious reason. The law which pre-
scribed in the Latin Church that Mass be celebrated only on a
sacred stone is of venerable antiquity and binds seriously.
However, in secondary Mission Stations, where Mass is cele-
brated outside of a sacred place, and where there is no altar
but instead an ordinary table is used for the celebration of
Holy Mass, the Latin antimensium is to be preferred over the
portable altar stone, not only because the former is easier to
carry and is not subject to the danger of breakage, but also
because the chalice may be more stably set upon the antimen-
sion than upon the small petra sacra, whose surface is higher
than the surface of the table upon which it is used." 27

Father Buijs' opinion seems to be most reasonable ; thus the or-
dinary preference of the petra sacra over the antimensium must be con-
ditioned by the exigencies of the particular situation, keeping in mind,
however, that these special faculties are not a carte blanche for not
using the consecrated stone.

4. We may note that the antimension latinum, whether left extended
for long periods of time on the table on which it is used or carried folded
to where it is neeeded, as a sacred object should be protected from the
danger of being soiled or damaged by rough handling, insects and mildew,
by being carefully protected by an envelope or burse of plastic or some
other suitable material. 28

26 Cfr. below, p. 218.

27 Buijs, Facultaes Ordinariorum et Legatorum, etc., op. cit., p. 51 : "Re-
quiritur ad usum facultatis 'ut nulla ecclesia vel nullum oratorium publicum
existet.' Usus facultatis excluditur in ecclesiis et in oratoriis publicis ; alibi
permittitur dummodo gravis adsit cause. Lex quae praescribit ut Missa cele-
bretur in petra sacra in Ecclesia latina venerabilis est antiquitatis et severe ur-
getur. In stationibus vero secondariis, ubi missa celebretur in loco profano ubi
altare non adest et Missa litari debet in mensa ordinaria praeferendus est linteus
benedictus prae petra sacra, non solum quia facilius transportari potest et non
frangitur sed eitam, quia calix stabilius ponitur super linteum quam super pe-
tram parvam, cuius superficies est magis elevata quam superficies mensae ip-
sius," Buijs adds, in his Facilitates Religiosorum, op. cit., p. 49 : "And whose
edges are hidden by the altar cloths" - "Et cuius limites tobaleis absconduntur."

28 Cfr. Ting Pong Lee, Facultates Apostolicae, op. cit., p. 140.

212

II. Formal Element

In regard to the personal or formal element of the faculty for the
use of the Latin Rite antimensium, we must keep clearly in mind the
distinction between who may grant this permission (the active subject
of the faculty) and to whom it may be granted (the passive subject
of the faculty).

Naturally, the Pope of Rome, as Universal Pastor, may grant the
faculty to use the antimensium latinum as a substitute for the petra
sacra to any Bishop or Priest (or to a lay person in order that he may
have a Priest celebrate the Holy Mass for him) 29 in any place and at
any time. The Holy Father regularly does this through the various
Sacred Congregations of the Roman Curia, especially the Sacred Consi-
storial Congregation (for Ordinaries throughout the world, outside of
mission territories), the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the
Faith (for Ordinaries and missionaries in territories subject to it), the
Sacred Congregation of Religious (for members of Religious Institutes),
and the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches (for clerics belong-
ing to one of the Oriental rites). 30

A. The Motu Proprio Pastorale Munus

However, on the occasion of the Ecumenical Council Vatican II,
towards the end of the second session, on November 30, 1963, Pope
Paul VI himself directly communicated to residential Bishops and certain
other Ordinaries, by means of his Motu Proprio Pastorale Munus, special
faculties among which were :

"(1), 7. To grant to Priests the faculty of celebrating Mass
upon a consecrated stone, outside of a sacred place, but in a
place that is becoming and decent, never in a bedroom, for a
just cause and in individual cases, but habitually only for a
graver cause."

"8. Likewise to concede the faculty of celebrating Mass for
a just cause at sea and on rivers, necessary precautions being
taken.

"9. To grant the faculty to Priests who enjoy the indult of
the portable altar that, for a just and serious cause, they may

29 However, this privilege is usually not in practice given to lay persons
but only to Priests ; cfr. C.L. Digest, III, p. 330.

30 Cfr. C.L. Digest, III, p. 362 ; Ting Pong Lee, "Cum Admotae etc.",
op. cit., pp. 67-68.

213

use in place of a consecrated stone a Greek antimension or a
cloth, which has been blessed by a Bishop, and at the righthand
corner of which there are enclosed the Relics of holy Martyrs,
likewise examined by the Bishop, all else being observed in
accordance with the rubrics, especially with regard to altar-
cloths and corporal." 31

1. The active subjects of these faculties (No. 9 is the one that
interests us especially, but the other two are connected with its inter-
pretation) are declared in the preamble of Pastorale Munus 32 to be :
all residential Bishops, Vicars Apostolic, Prefects Apostolic, permanently
constituted Apostolic Administrators, Abbots Nullius and Prelates (Nul-
lius) ; 33 furthermore, these may delegate these faculties to their Coadjutor
Bishops, Auxiliary Bishops, and Vicars General. 34 Naturally, they may
use these faculties also in their own behalf. 35

2. It is in regard to the passive subject of the faculty, that is,
those to whom it can be granted, that some doubt arises. Faculty

31 Cfr. above, pp. 207 ff.

32 "Ad norraam autem iuris vigentis, huiusmodi facilitates, quas Episco-
pis residentialibus iure commettere declaramus, competunt etiam iure Vicariis
et Praefectis Apostolicis, Administratoribus Apostolicis permanenter constitutis,
Abbatibus et Prelatis nullius, qui omnes in suo territorio iisdem iuribus et fa-
cultatibus gaudent, quae in propriis dioecesibus competunt Episcopis residen-
tialibus. Et quamvis Vicarii et Praefecti Apostolici nequeant Vicarium Genera-
lem constituere, iidem tamen has facultates, de quibus agitur, suo quisque Vi-
cario Delegato legitime delegare valent."

33 As of January 22, 1966, the phrase "Nullius dioeceseos" was deleted
from the titles "Prelatus Nullius dioeceseos" and "Prelatura Nullius dioeceseos".
Cfr. Annuario Pontificio, 1966, Citta del Vaticano : Tipografia Poliglotta Vati-
cana, 1966, insert leaflet entitled "Aggiornamento deH'Annunario Pontificio al
7 febbraio 1966."

34 "1. Facultates quae iure Episcopo residentiali competunt momento
canonice captae dioecesis possessionis, quas tamen aliis, praeter quam Episcopis
Coadiutori et Auxiliaribus atque Vicario Generali, delegare non potest, nisi in
iisdem expresse dicatur." For a fuller analysis of the active subject of these fa-
culties, cfr. Belluco, op. cit., pp. 29-33 ! Duffy, op. cit., pp. 77-79 ; Ignatius
Ting Pong Lee, "In Lit. Apost. Pauli VI Pastorale Munus Motu proprio datas
excursus doctrinalis" Commentarium pro Religiosis et Missionariis 43 (1964),
PP- 55-58.

35 Cfr. Canon 201, § 3 : "Nisi aliud ex rerum natura aut ex iure constet,
potestatem iurisdictionis voluntariam seu non-iudicialem quis exercere potest
etiam in proprium commodum, aut extra territorium existens, aut in subditum
e territorio absentem."

2I4

Number g specifies "Priests who enjoy the faculty of the portable altar;"36
there can be no doubt that the faculty can therefore be given to those
who by law 37 or special indult from the Holy See have the privilege of
the portable altar. 38 What may we say, however, about those Priests
to whom has been granted by their Ordinary, according to the provisions
of Numbers 7 and 8 of Pastorale Munus cited above, the faculty to ce-
lebrate upon a petra sacra outside of a sacred place ? Fathers Belluco, 39
Gambari, 40 and Ting Pong Lee 41 hold that the indult of the portable
altar must be understood as a technical term referring to that privilege
as granted solely by the Holy See, urging the strictness of the praxis of
the Dicasteria Romana in this regard. They exclude the possibility of an
Ordinary granting, by means of the powers granted to him by Pastorale
Munus, to a Priest under his jurisdiction (and not enjoying the indult of
the portable altar by either law or Apostolic Indult) the faculty, once
having granted to this Priest the permission to celebrate outside of a
sacred place, to substitute for the petra sacra an antimensium latinum.
Father Buijs thinks differently :

"The Bishop may concede to all Priests who have the pri-
vilege of the portable alter, i.e. to those who either by Apostolic
Indult or by the faculty conceded to them by the Bishop may ce-
lebrate outside of a sacred place, the permission 'to use in place
of the petra sacra' an antimensium laatinum..." 42

36 "...sacerdotibus, indulto altaris portatilis fruentibus..."

37 I.e. Cardinals, Bishops, Vicars and Prefects Apostolic, Administrators
Apostolic, and some members of the Roman Curia. Cfr. Belluco, op. cit., pp.
86-87 ; Buijs, Facilitates Religiosorum, op. cit., pp. 40-41 ; Duffy, op. cit.,

38 Cfr. Belluco, loc. cit.

39 Belluco, Facilitates Superiorum Religiosorum, op. cit., p. 62 ; Novis-
simae Ordinariorum Locorum Facilitates, op. cit., pp. 86-87. However, Father
Belluco does not deny all probability to the opposite opinion.

40 Ae. Gambari, Facolta Speciali dei Superiori Generali, Milano, 1965,

P- 39-

41 Ting Pong Lee, "Cum admotae, etc.," op. cit., pp. 57-59.

42 Buijs, Facultates Religiosorum, op. cit., p. 48 : "Episcopus concedere
potest omnibus sacerdotibus qui habent privilegium altaris portatilis, i.e. qui
sive ex indulto Apostolico sive ex facultate ipsis ab Episcopo concessa celebrare
possunt Missam extra locum sacrum (cfr. supra n. 7 et 8), licentiam 'adhibendi
pro petra sacra' linteum benedictum : unde linteum ponendum est super mensa
ordinaria et super lintea ponendae sunt tobaleae et corporale." (n. 7 et 8 in the
citation just given refer to faculties number 7 and 8 of the Pastorale Munus,
part I).

215

Father Duffy agrees :

"Faculty 9 of the Motu Proprio Pastorale Munus gives to
resident Bishops the power to allow the use of this linen anti-
mensium (which, it refers to as 'Graecorum antimensium') 43 to
priests who have an indult to use a portable altar... The indult
to use the portable altar may be granted either by the Holy
See or the Bishop since the faculty does not limit the concession
to priests who have an indult from the Holy See." 44

and finally, Father Bottoms opines regarding the same matter :

"There seems to be no reason to restrict this faculty to those
who have an apostolic indult to use a portable altar ; it may be
used as well, for example, by those granted the privilege if
faculty no. 7 above." 45

Since the authors are so divided in this matter, a merely ecclesi-
atical law, it would seem to appear that we have a positive doubt of
law, and in accordance with canon 15 of the CIC, 46 and since the Holy
See has not issued any authoritative interpretation in this regard, the
Ordinary contemplated in Pastorale Munus, pending further notice, may
grant the faculty to substitute the Latin antimensium for the portable
altar stone to those Priests to whom he has already granted, according to
No. 7, the permission to celebrate on the petra sacra outside of a sa-
cred place.

3. These faculties of Pastorale Munus may be given by the Local
Ordinary to any religious or diocesan Priest or Bishop residing habitually
in his diocese and they may use them even outside the limits of the

43 The Reverend Author is mistaken here, for it is obvious from the pre-
vious concessions of the antimensium latinum that this is what is meant by
"linteum, ab episcopo benedictum, etc." and this is the way all the other authors
interpret it. The word "or" ("vel") here must be thought of as disjunctive, not
a conjunction introducing an apposition.

44 Duffy, op. cit., pp. 46-47.

45 A. M. Bottoms, "A Commentary on the Forty Faculties of Pastorale
Munus," The Jurist, 246 (1964), p. 431.

46 "Can. 15. Leges, etiam irritantes et inhabilitantes, in dubio iuris non
urgent ; in dubio autem facti potest Ordinarius in eis dispensare, dummodo aga-
tur de legibus in quibus Romanus Pontifex dispensare solet." Cfr. Cicognani,
op. cit., pp. 586-592. Furthermore, we are here dealing with a merely ecclesiastical
law, and also the intention of the Holy Father was to give much wider faculties
to the Bishops.

2l6

diocese of the Ordinary who granted them ; the Local Ordinary may also
grant these faculties to any visiting or traveling Priests or Bishops for
use within the confines of the Ordinary's diocese. 47

4. The use of the faculty by the Priest to whom it has been granted
requires a just and serious cause. 48 Father Batholomew Belluco, examin-
ing the previous jurisprudence of the Holy See in this regard, requires
for such a causa true necessity and great utility ; 49 this would certainly
obtain when it is impossible or very difficult to find an altar stone or a
sacred place containing one, and there is much inconvenience in carrying
about a petra sacra (danger of breakage) or using it (altar table with no
recess to receive stone and consequent danger of upsetting altar vessels).

B. The Pontifical Rescript Cum Admotae

On November 6, 1964, by means of the Pontifical Rescript Cum
Admotae, 50 in effect, extended some of the same or similar faculties, of
Pastorale Munus to certain Religious Superiors ; however, although the
Greek antimension was specifically mentioned, 51 nothing was said about
the Latin antimensium and Religious Superiors have no special faculties
in this regard through Cum Admotae. 52 The Religious having need of the
faculty to substitute the Latin antimensium for the petra sacra must
request this permission from either the Local Ordinary or, through the
proper channels (which usually involves the Procurator General of the
Religious Institute), from the Sacred Congregation of Religious. 53

47 Cfr. Belluco, Novissimae Ordinariorum Locorum Facilitates, op. ext.,
pp. 33-36, 80-81, 83, 86-87 ! A. Gutierrez, "Episcoporum facultates secundum
M. Pr. Pastorale Munus et religiosi," Commentarium pro Religiosis et Missionariis,
43 (1964), pp. 160-165.

48 "Iusta et gravi de cause ;" for explanation and examples, cfr. Belluco,
op. cit., pp. 85-86 ; Bottoms, loc. cit. ; Buijs, Facultates Religiosorum, op. cit.,
pp. 48-49 ; Duffy, op. cit., p. 79.

49 Belluco, loc. cit.

50 For text, cfr. above, p. 139.

51 In regard to Oriental rite Religious only.

52 Cfr. Belluco, Facultates Superiorum Religiosorum, op. cit., p. 62 ;
Buijs, op. cit., p. 42 ; Duffy, op. cit., p. 47 ; Ting Pong Lee, "Cum Admorae,
etc.," op. cit., pp. 67-68. Latin Rite Priests who have an Apostolic Indult to
celebrate also in the Byzantine or other Oriental rite cannot use the Latin or
Byzantine antimension when celebrating in the Latin Rite (unless they have a
special indult to do so) ; cfr. Ting Pong Lee, loc. cit. ; above p. 140.

53 Cfr. C.L. Digest, IV, p. 257; Duffy, loc. cit.

217

C. Decennial Faculties of the Sacred Congregation for the propagation of
the Faith

For the territories under its jurisdiction, 54 the 1961-1970 Decennial
Faculties 55 of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith
gave to Ordinaries the faculties :

"5. To grant that for a just reason Mass may be celebrated
on a portable altar, without a server, in the open air and on
board ship, provided that, the required precautions having
been taken, there is no danger of irreverence and the place is
decent, even though the altar be broken or lack Relics of the
Saints ; and also that Mass may be begun after midnight. 56

"6. To permit that Priests substitute for a portable altar or
altar stone a cloth made of linen or hemp and properly blessed
in which are placed Relics of the Saints recognized by some
local Ordinary, on which cloth these same Priests may celebrate
the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass only in cases where there
is no church and no public oratory available, observing whatever
else is to be observed according to the Rubrics, especially as
regards the altar cloths and corporal." 57

54 Principally mission territories but also a few other regions ; cfr. An-
nuario Pontificio ad verb. "S. Congregazione de Propaganda Fide ;" for listing
of territories under the jurisdiction of S.C.P.F. cfr. Saverio Paventi, La Chiesa
Missionaria, Rome : Unione Missionaria del Clero in Italia (Tipografia Editrice
M. Pisani - Isola di Liri), 1950, pp. 147-160 ; Giuseppe Stanghetti, Prassi della
S.C. di Propaganda Fide, Rome: Officium Libri Catholici, 1943, pp. 111-117.

55 Cfr. C.L. Digest, V, pp. 176-190.

56 English translation from C.L. Digest, V, p. 177. This faculty is of in-
terest here only because the following faculty is accessory and complementary to
it ; cfr. Ting Pong Lee, Facilitates Apostolicae, op. ext., p. 143. Its Latin text is
as follows :

"5. Permittendi ut iusta de causa Missa celebrari possit, super altari por-
tatili, sine ministrante, sub dio et in navi, dnmmodo, debitis cautelis adhibitis,
nullum adsit irreverentiae periculum, et locus decens sit, etiamsi altare sit frac-
tum vel sine Reliquris Sanctorum ; atque ut Missa inchoari queat post mediam
noctem."

57 English translation from C.L. Digest, loc. cit. ; the Latin text is as follows:
6. Permittendi ut sacerdotes substituere possint altari portatili seu petrae

sacrae aliquod linteum ex lino vel cannabe confectum et rite benedictum, in
quo conditae sint Sanctorum Reliquiae ab aliquo Ordinario loci recognitae, super
quo iidem sacerdotes sacrosanctum Missae sacrificium celebrare queant iis tantum
in casibus in quibus nulla ecclesia vel nullum oratorium publicum exstet, servatis
de cetero servandis iuxta Rubricas, praesertim quoad tobaleas et corporale
N.B. Nothing mentioned in regard to the Byzantine antimension.

2l8

1. The active subjects of these faculties are the Residential Bishops,
Abbots Nullius, Prelates (Nullius), Vicars Apostolic, Prefects Apostolic,
Superiors of Missions "sui iuris," and the vicars of the preceding, viz.
the Vicar General in an Abbacy Nullius and in a Prelature (Nullius) and
the Vicar Delegate in strictly missionary circumscriptions. 58 These may
also use these faculties for their own benefit. 59

2. The passive subjects of these faculties, i.e. those Priests to whom
they may be granted, are all Priests actually within the confines of the
territory of the Ordinary (including Priests who are just passing through,
"peregrini") ; outside the confines of the territory of the Ordinary, these
faculties may be used only by those Priests who come under his jurisdic-
tion by reason of being incardinated in his diocese or quasi-diocese, or
because they have domicile in his territory (e.g. Religious having do-
micile in territory of Ordinary). 60

3. The conditions under which they may be used are not very
restricted, there is no mention of the necessity of a just and serious
cause, transportation difficulties, etc. The only restrictive condition is
the clause that there be no church or public oratory present in the ter-
ritory, since these will normally have a consecrated fixed altar or a por-
table altar stone ; however, if for some reason these altars are lacking or
unfit for use, it is patent that the missionary may use the antimensium
latinum within the Church or public oratory.

These faculties may be interpreted benignly or widely. 61

58 Cfr. Buijs, Facilitates Ordinariorum et Legatorum, etc., op. cit., pp. 7-13;
Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., pp. 51-68.

59 Cfr. Buijs, op. cit., p. 14 ; Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., pp. 61-62 ; and
above, p. 213, note 35.

60 Cfr. Buijs, op. cit., pp. 14-15 ; Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., pp. 67-77
Ayala Lopez, op. cit., p. 247 holds that the missionary using this faculty in the
territory of an Ordinary other than the one granted it must have at least pre-
sumed permission of the Ordinary within whose territory he wishes to avail him-
self of this privilege.

61 Cfr. Ayala Lopez, op. cit., p. 246 : "Como el asunto tiene la propriedad
de privilegio praeter jus, el criterio debera ser amplio, ejor que restrictivo, tanto
en lo referente a la materia como a los sujetos en cuyo favor se ortoga la gracia :"
Paventi, Breviarium Iuris Missionalis, op. cit., p. 32 : "Rescriptum concessionis
plures conditiones exigit, quae late interpretari debent." In regard to the rela-
tion of this faculty (and the following faculty) with that granted by the Motu
Proprio "Facultates decennalis n. 6 Ordinariis Missionum a S.C. de P.F. con-
cessa absorbetur in hac facultate n. 8 ex Motu Proprio facultatem celebrandi

219

D. Decennial Faculties for Latin America and the Philippine Islands

On August 8, 1959, the Sacred Consistorial Congregation granted
to the Local Ordinaries of Latin America and the Philippine Islands
among the 1959-1969 Decennial Faculties : 62

"10. Local Ordinaries can grant to Priests who are subject
to their jurisdiction, where sufficient roads and vehicles are
lacking, the faculty of substituting, in place of the portable altar
or sacred stone, a cloth made of linen or hemp and blessed by
the Bishop, in which are placed Relics of Saints authenticated
by the same bishop and on which the said Priests can offer the
holy sacrifice of the Mass, under penalty of sin, only in those
cases in which there is no church or oratory, public or private,
and in which it would be very inconvenient to carry an altar
stone with them on the journey or have one handy. All else
must be observed according to the rubrics, especially as re-
gards the altar cloths and corporal." 63

I. These faculties were more restricted than the similar ones which
were to be given a year later by the S.C.P.F. and of which we have just
treated above, 64 in that they could not be used when there was extant

super linteum benedictum hac facilitate uti possunt in omnibus territoriis subiectis
S.C. de P.F. si deest ecclesia et de licentia Ordinarii loci, saltern legitime prae-
sumpta." The S.C.P.F. faculties are delegated faculties, while Pastorale Munus
confers ordinary powers ; in practice, the missionary may use those which are
legitimate for him and which grant him the widest faculties. Cfr. Belluco,
Novissimae Ordinariorum Locorum Facilitates, op. ext., pp. 20, 22, 43-44.

62 Cfr. AAS 51 (i960) 915 ft; C.L. Digest, V, pp. 172.

63 English translation from C.L. Digest, V, p. 175 ; Latin text is as follows :
"10) Ordinarii locorum sacerdotibus suae jurisdictioni obnoxiis, ubi via-

rum et curruum deest copia, facultatem concedere valent substituendi, loco al-
taris portatilis seu petrae sacrae, aliquod linteum ex lino vel cannabe confectum
et ab Episcopo benedictum, in quo conditae sint Sanctorum Reliquiae ab eodem
Episcopo recognitae, super quo iidem sacerdotes sacrosanctum Missae Sacrifi-
cium celebrare queant iis tantum in casibus, et onerata corum conscientia, in
quibus aut nulla ecclesia vel oratorium sive publicum sive privatum exstat, et
valde incommodum sit lapideum altare secum in itinere transferre aut in promptu
habere. Servatis de cetero servandis iuxta Rubricas, praestertim quoad tobaleas
et corporate. "

64 N.B. Nothing was mentioned about the Byzantine antimension. Cfr.
above, pp. 341 ff. Note that the present faculties were more restricted than those
later granted by the S.C.P.F. ; cfr. Buijs, op. ext., p. 258 ; Ting Pong Lee, op.
ext., p. 144.

220

in the locale even a private oratory ; furthermore ; they could be used
only under the conditions of difficulty of transport and of inconvenience
in carrying or finding a petra sacra.

2. In regard to these conditions, we may remark : a) even if a
private oratory exists in the locale, if it lacks a petra sacra, as may well
be the case, naturally the antimensium latinum may be used ; 65 the
word and (et) joining the phrase concerning the inconvenience of carrying
an altar stone or having one handy to the rest of the phrase enunciating,
the faculty, may be thought of as disjunctive and therefore may be taken
in the sense of either /or, and therefore it suffices that only one of the two
conditions be present, i.e. either i) difficulties in regard to transportation
(lack of sufficient roads or vehicles) or 2) inconvenience in regard to
petra sacra (carrying it or having one handy) ; 66 c) the phrase "binding
upon their consciences" (onerata eorum conscientia) is translated in the
Canon Law Digest^ as "under penalty of sin" and Father Ting Pong
Lee 68 points to this phrase as demonstrating the gravity (presumably
grave) of the moral obligation of this precept — this is not obvious from
the words themselves used in the faculty and may just as well mean that
the missionary should be attentive in each case to see if all the require-
ments are fulfilled before substituting the antimensium for the portable
altar stone. In any case, this phrase was wisely omitted from the sub-
sequent indults granted by the Holy See.

E. The Catholic Near East Welfare Association

Since January 28, 1928, the C.N.E.W.A. 69 has been granting to
perpetual members of its association the privilege of offering Mass on the

65 Cfr. Buijs, op. cit., p. 257.

66 Cfr. Ayala L6pez, op. cit., p. 246 ; G. Montague, "Use of the Anti-
mension," Irish Ecclesiastical Record, 5th series, 73 (1948) pp. 455-456 ; Pa-
venti, "Quaestiones de lure Missionali," op. cit., p. 252.

67 C.L. Digest, loc. cit.

68 Ting Pong Lee, op. cit., p. 143 : "Gravitas praecepti apparet ex eo quod
urgebatur 'onerata conscientia missionarium.' "

69 Cfr. Godley, op. cit., p. 172 ; Henry, op. cit., p. 72. According to the
official letterhead of the C.N.E.W.A., it is "The Holy Father's Mission Aid to
the Oriental Church" and "The Association prepares boys for the Priesthood/
trains Sisters/Builds, maintains and supports Chapels, Churches, Clinics, Con-
vents and Rectories in Afghanistan, Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Dodecanese
Islands, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon,

221

Byzantine Antimension, and in its latest leaflet 70 issued bearing the pri-
vileges of the members are enumerated :

"2. The Privilege of offering Mass while travelling, in any
respectable place — except a bedroom — when a church is
diffcult of access. There must be no danger of irreverence.
(Granted to Perpetual Members only).

"5. The Privilege of using the Greek or Latin antimension
in place of the altar stone.

"9. The privilege of celebrating Mass in Byzantine Rite
churches on the Antimensium.''

These privileges are self-explanatory ; we need note only that it
would seem that by virtue of privilege 5, a Priest who is only a temporary
(annual) member could substitute the antimensium latinum (or the By-
zantine antimension) for the petra sacra if he a) already enjoyed the fa-
culty of the portable altar either by title of law, Apostolic Indult or
faculty granted to him by his Ordinary (using Pastorale Munus, I, n. 7
and/or 8) ; or uses the antimensium within a sacred place (e.g. for anal tar
facing the congregation within a church). 71 Without prejudice, of course,
to the tradition of the Latin Church preferring a consecrated stone, all
other things remaining equal, i.e. when it is just as convenient to use a
petra sacra.

F. The Military Ordinariate of the United States of America

The 1967 edition of the Vademecum for the Priests Serving the Mi-
litary Vicariate of the United States of America enumerates among the
faculties granted to its Chaplains :

"6. To offer Mass outside a sacred place provided the place
chosen is proper and befitting ; Mass may be offered aboard
ship." 72

Palestine, Syria and Turkey ;" its address is 330 Madison Avenue, New York,
N.Y. 10017.

70 Received from one of the Assistant Secretaries, Right Reverend Mitred
Archpriest Andrew Rogosh on May 7, 1968. The reason for including this infor-
mation as well as that of the previous note is the fact that the leaflet bears no
publication data whatsoever.

71 Notice that nothing is mentioned regarding altar cloths nor corporal ;
neither is anything said about the type of reason needed to use privilge no. 5.

72 Vademecum, etc., op. ext., p. 14.

222

"8. To use, for a just cause, instead of an altar stone the
Greek or Latin antimensium with due observance of liturgical
prescriptions regarding altar cloths and the corporal." 73

1. The active subject of these faculties is not mentioned (they
were granted by the Sacred Consistorial Congregation to Francis Cardinal
Spellman as Military Vicar and by him transmitted to the Chaplains of
the Military Vicariate). The passive subjects, 74 those Priests to whom
the faculties are granted, are :

1. Commissioned Chaplains for the duration of their military

service ;

2. Veterans Administration Chaplains for the duration of their
service with this U.S. Government agency ;

3. Auxiliary Chaplains only whenever they render spiritual
assistance to any subject of the Military Vicar ; 75

4. Reserve Chaplains, National Guard Chaplains and Civil Air
Patrol Chaplains only when on active duty, or reporting for
inactive duty training, or when assisting at a military in-
stallation.

2. The only condition for use, other than the connection with the
Military Vicariate specified for the various types of passive subjects of
the faculty, is that there be a just cause. A just cause may be even the
private spiritual good of the chaplain, who wishes to celebrate by reason
of personal devotion and would otherwise have to forego the celebration
of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 76

G. Particular Indults Granted to Individuals by the Holy See

In these cases, the conditions mentioned in the Apostolic Indult
itself must be observed ; it is unlikely that any condition will be required
which is not similar to the ones commented upon above in the six pre-

73 Cfr. ibidem, p. 15.

74 Cfr. ibidem, p. iv.

75 For a lengthy list of persons in any way subject to the Military Vicar,
cfr. Ibidem, pp. 3-4 ; suffice it to say here that it covers all military personnel,
their wives, children, servants and relative habitually residing with them, the
faithful working or dwelling in military installations and institutions.

76 Cfr. Belluco, Novissimae Ordinariorum Locorum Facilitates, op. cit.,
pp. 79-80 ; Belluco, Facilitates Superiorum Religiosorum, op. cit., pp. 62-63 I
Buijs, Facilitates Religiosorum, op. cit., p. 42 ; Duffy, op. cit., p. 79.

223

vious cases. We may mention in passing that the Sacred Congregation
of Religious often grants this rescript in forma, commissoria to a Superior
General for his priests without need of execution by the Local Ordinary,
while the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith usually
issues these rescripts in forma exsecutoria, committing the execution of
the rescript to the Local Ordinary. 77

77 Cfr. C.L. Digest, IV, p. 267 ; Paventi, Breviarium Iuris Missionalis,
op. cit., pp. 2-33.

CHAPTER SIX

A FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
IN LATIN RITE LITURGICAL LAW

In considering the liturgical and canonical tradition of the Latin
Church in regard to the antimension of both the Byzantine and Latin
Rites, we must take into account the latest development in Latin Li-
turgical Law as embodied in the new Ordo Missae promulgated April 6,
1969 by the Sacred Congregation of Rites. In the Institutio Generalis
Missalis Romani, or General Instruction on the Roman Missal, which is
the first part of the new Roman Missal actually promulgated on April 6,
1969, in Chapter Five, which is concerned with "The Arrangement and
Ornamentation of Churches for the Eucharistic Celebration, Section
Four, "Concerning the Altar," there is stated:

"IV. Altar

259. The altar, where the sacrifice of Christ is made present
under sacramental signs, is also the table of the Lord. The
people of God are called together to share in this table. Thus
the altar is a center of the thanksgiving accomplished in the
eucharist.

260. In a sacred place the eucharist should be celebrated
on altar, either fixed or movable. In other places, especially
where the eucharist is not regularly celebrated, a suitable table
may be used, but always with a cloth and corporal.

261. An altar is considered fixed if its is attached to the
floor so that it cannot be moved. It is a movable altar if it can
be transferred from place to place.

262. The main altar should be freestanding so that the mi-
nisters can easily walk around it and Mass can be celebrated
facing the people. It should be placed in a central position

1 Official English translation from The Roman Missal : The Sacramentary ,
Collegeville, Minnesota : The Liturgical Press, 1974, PP- 39~4°-

16 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

226

which draws the attention of the whole congregation. (See
SRC, 10 e 91 : AAS 56 (1964) 898). The main altar should ordi-
narily be a fixed, consecrated altar.

263. According to the traditional practice of the Church
and the meaning of an altar, the table of a fixed altar should
be of natural stone, but any solid, becoming, and skillfully
constructed material may be used with the approval of the
conference of bishops.

The support or base of the table may be of any solid, be-
coming material.

264. A movable altar may be constructed of any solid,
becoming material which is suited to liturgical use, according
to the traditions and culture of different regions.

265. Fixed altars are consecrated according to the rite of the
Roman Pontifical ; movable altars may be simply blessed. It
is not necessary to have a consecrated stone in a movable altar
or on the table where the eucharist is celebrated outside a sa-
cred place (see No. 260).

266. It is fitting to maintain the practice of enclosing relics
in the altar of placing them under the altar. These relics need
not be those of martyrs, but there must be proof that they are
authentic." 2

267. Minor altars should be few in number. In new chur-
ches they should be placed in chapels somewhat separated
from the nave. (See SRC, 10 e 93 : AAS 56 (1964) 898).

2 Ordo Missae, editio typica, Rome : Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1969,
pp. 61-62, nn. 259-266 and identical text in the Missale Romanum (igyo), pro-
mulgated by Pope Paul VI in his Apostolic Constitution Missale Romanum of
April 3, 1969, but actually printed in 1970 by the Vatican Press, pp. 75-76,
nn. 259-266. The Latin text is as follows :

IV. De altari

259. Altare, in quo sacrificium crucis sub signis sacramentalibus praesens
efficitur, est etiam mensa Domini, ad quam participandam in Missa populus Dei
convocatur ; atque centrum gratiarum actionis, quae per Eucharistiam perncitur.

260. Celebratio Eucharistiae, in loco sacro, peragenda est super altare sive
fixum sive mobile ; extra locum sacrum vero, praesertim si ad modum actus fiat,
etiam super mensam convenientem, peragi potest, retentis semper tobalea et
corporali.

261. Altare dicitur ; si ita exstruatur ut cum pavimento cohaereat ideoque
amoveri nequeat ; mobile vero si transferri possit.

262. Altare maius exstruatur a pariete seiunctum, ut facile circumiri et
in eo celebratio versus populum peragi possit. Eum autem occupet locum, ut
revera centrum sit ad quod totius congregationis ridelium attentio sponte con-
vertatur.

Altare maius de more sit fixum et consecratum.

227

From these norms we may conclude that although the Ecclesiastical
tradition is to be continued which requires a consecrated altar containing
relics for the celebration, outside of cases of emergency, of the Eucha-
ristic Sacrifice, yet, at least in the Latin Church, on occasion though not
habitually, these are no longer absolutely necessary, especially extra loca
sacra. Thus, the use of the Byzantine or Latin Rite forms of the anti-
mension as a substitute for the portable petra sacra by Latin Rite priests
would no longer, at first glance, seem to be of as great importance as
formerly.

However, the present author feels that given the present stage of
developement of the state of affairs in the Latin Church, two things
must be taken into consideration : i) there is a wave of reaction, even
from official ecclesiastical sources, against the excessive legalism and
preoccupation with minutiae of the past ; this has led to the eschewal,
as regards matters liturgical, of absolutism in the non-essentials. For
this reason, I believe that the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship has
not insisted on the absolute necessity of a consecrated relic-bearing altar,
in all cases, since this is clearly not essential to the validity of the cele-
bration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. 2) Notwithstanding this recent
decree of the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship, the present author
respectfully submits that there is a millenial, and even more ancient, tradi-
tion in the universal Church which associates the celebration of the Holy
Mysteries with properly consecrated altars and the relics of the Saints and
that there exists the Seventh Canon of the Seventh General Council of the

263. Iuxta traditum Ecclesiae morem et significationem, mensa altaris fixi
sit lapidea, et quidem ex lapide naturali. Attamen etiam alia materia digna,
solida et affabre effecta, de iudicio Conferentiae Episcopalis, adhiberi potest.

Stipites vero aut basis ad mensam sustendam ex qualibet materia, dum-
modo sit digna et solida, confici possunt.

264. Altare mobile ex quibuslibet materiis nobilibus et solidis, atque usui
liturgico, iuxta diversarum regionum traditiones et mores, convenientibus,
exstrui potest.

265. Altaria turn fixa turn mobilia iuxta ritum Pontificalis Romani con-
secrantur ; altaria tamen mobilia benedici tantum possunt. Nulla vero fit obli-
gatio habendi petram consecratam in altari mobili aut in mensa, supra quam
extra locum sacrum celebratio peragatur (cf. n. 260).

266. Usus includendi in altari consecrando, vel deponendi sub altari, re-
liquias Sanctorum, etsi non Martyrum, opportune servetur. Caveatur tamen ut
de huiusmodi relinquiarum veritate certo constet.

267. Altaria minora numero sint pauciora et, in novis ecclesiis, in sacellis
ab ecclesiae aula aliquomodo seiunctis collocentur.

228

Church, Nicea II, which, as we have already had so much occasion to
note, supports this tradition.

For these reasons it is my opinion that while the Latin Rite priest
who celebrates the Eucharistic Liturgy, especially extra loca sacra, on an
unconsecrated table or other convenient surface is certainly not proceeding
in an anticanonical manner, still, unless there is great inconvenience
entailed, he should be encouraged to use either the petra sacra or the
Byzantine or Latin form of the antimension in order to be in line with
the ancient and constant tradition of the universal Church. This would
also seem to be implied in norm 260 of the Institutio Generalis quoted
above, where celebration without a consecrated altar, even extra loca
sacra, is viewed as something to be done "praesertim... ad modum actus,"
i.e. only occasionally.

Lastly, we must note that this modification of the liturgical law
of the Latin Rite in no way affects the liturgical law of the Byzantine
Churches, not even those in communion with the Apostolic See of Rome,
and hence the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, except in cases of dire
necessity, without a duly consecrated and relic-bearing altar, remains
forbidden and anticanonical to the Byzantine Rite clergy.

CONCLUSIONS

The antimension is the portable altar of the Byzantine Rite, both
Catholic and Orthodox, although it is also used on consecrated fixed
altars as a type of corporal ; the real corporal of the Greek Rite, the
eileton, is traditionally used under the antimension.

The word antimension is derived from a combination of the Greek
prefix anti, meaning "instead of," and the Latin word mensa, taken over
into the Greek and signifying "table," especially "altar table." Anti-
mension, therefore means "something used instead of the (fixed) altar.'

Aside from the fact that in form it consists of a piece of either
linen or silk, decorated with the scene of the Deposition from the Cross
and /or Entombment of Christ and inscriptions describing its purpose
and giving the pertinent data of consecration, the antimension is similar
to the Latin Rite petra sacra in that it contains Relics and is consecrated
with Sacred Chrism using a ceremony almost identical to the one used
for the consecration of a fixed altar. Antimensia were at first consecrated
only upon the occasion of the consecration of a fixed altar, but necessity
caused the introduction, already in the Middle Ages, of the consecration
of antimensia apart from the consecration of a fixed altar. Because of
the characteristic Byzantine doctrine of "consecration through con-
tact," the antimension should properly be placed upon a fixed conse-
crated altar while it is being consecrated. The consecration ceremonial
resembles, as does that of the fixed altar, the rites of christian initiation
and so the antimension is sprinkled with Holy Water, anointed with Sacred
Myron (Chi ism), and finally the Eucharist is celebrated upon it for seven
days. The two most important moments of the consecration are the
anointing of the antimension with Chrism and the insertion of the Relics,
although the validity would seem to depend solely upon the former ;
for licit use as a portable altar, however, the antimension must be fur-
nished with Relics. Although the consecration of antimensia has some-
times in the past been delegated to Priests, this runs counter to the
practice of the Byzantine Church, since the antimension is a witness to

23°

the at least symbolic presence of the local Bishop at each Eucharistic
Synaxis, and through him, and his sharing in the Apostolic Succession,
to communion with the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church of
Christ.

The antimension loses its consecration, i.e. becomes desecrated
only when completely destroyed ; however, it may lose its usefulness for
the celebration of the Holy Mysteries if it becomes too torn or soiled for
decent use ; in this case it should be withdrawn from circulation and
either kept in a suitable place, or, after removing the Relics, burned and
the ashes disposed of in the sacrarium. Unless otherwise damaged in the
process, washing the antimension does not result in its loss of usefulness ;
however, the washing of antimensia is repugnant to the sensibilities of
Orientals.

The antimension is used either as a portable altar or as a type of
corporal on a fixed consecrated altar. Used as a portable altar, it supplies
for the consecration of the table upon which it is extended and for the
hallowing of the place itself. No altar cloths nor corporal are necessary
when used for the celebration of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, although
the covering of the table with some suitable cloth would be laudable.
To use the antimension as a portable altar outside of a sacred place, a
Bishop needs no permission. A Priest must receive this faculty from his
Bishop, which, however, may be implied in his receiving the antimension
from the hands of the Bishop ; once received, it may be used even out-
side of the eparchy (diocese) of the Bishop who granted it. Oriental
Catholic Religious Priests may under certain circumstances receive this
permission from their Religious Superiors ; it is necessary that they belong
to any one of the Oriental Rites, but their Superior may be of Western
or Oriental Rite. The antimension should be kept in a decent place, folded
like the Latin corporal and in a protective covering, and should not be
given to lay persons nor ordinarily touched by anyone who is not in
Major Sacred Orders (which in the Byzantine Rite begin with the rank
of Deacon).

The canonical tradition of the Latin Church, to whose attention the
antimension was brought in the XVI c. by the influx into Italy of By-
zantine Rite immigrants, allegedly not always firm in their loyalty to
the Pope of Rome, has eschewed the use of the antimension by Latin
Rite priests, apart from exceptional circumstances and in particular cases.
This attitude culminated in the insertion in the Pian-Benedictan Code
of Canon Law of a clause in canon 823, § 2 (which canon sanctioned to a
certain degree the interritual use of altars) forbidding a Latin Priest to

231

celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass upon a Byzantine antimension.
Little by little, this discipline was relaxed and many indults were given,
especially to military chaplains, for the use of the antimension by Latin
Rite clergy.. In our own day, the faculties of Pastorale Munus permit
a Local Ordinary to grant to his Priests (including those of the Latin
Rite), in certain circumstances, the use of the Byzantine antimension as
a substitute for the petra sacra. However, the ruling of canon 823, § 2
cannot be considered abrogated, although it may be foreseen that the
legislation on this point will be modified in the forthcoming renewal of
Pian-Benedictan Code of Canon Law.

Since at least the late logo's, the Latin Church has begun to imitate
the Byzantine antimension, and in its present form the antimensium
latinum (which name is the most convenient one used) consists of a linen
or hemp cloth, having sewn into a small pocket in one of its (right hand)
corners authenticated relics of at least one martyr (but properly more
than one), and blessed with a very simple cermony by a Bishop or pro-
perly delegated priest. In outward appearance, it resembles very much
the Latin corporal. The Latin antimensium is always used with the
rubrically prescribed altar cloths and a corporal ; it is never used as a
corporal, and is placed under the altar cloths like the petra sacra for
which it is a very convenient substitute. The local Ordinary may permit
the use of the Latin antimensium to his priests, under certain circum-
stances, by the faculties granted to him through the Motu Proprio Pa-
storale Munus, of where, they apply, the Decennial Faculties granted to
the missions and other territories. The faculties of Pastorale Munus
tend to absorb these other grants, and the missionary may use whichever
faculty is legitimate to him and facilitates more his work for the salva-
tion of souls.

Our comparison of the Latin and Byzantine forms of the portable
altar may be illustrated by the following chart p. 233.

The Christian altar began as a portable altar, and only later did
fixed altars come into' vogue ; portable altars have always remained an
important canonical institute, because outside of cases of extreme ne-
cessity, the Eucharistic Sacrifice, even when celebrated outside of a sa-
cred place, must still be performed only upon a consecrated altar, although
the Latin Church now admits of exceptions per modum actus. In
the Latin Church there are two forms of the portable altar, the petra
sacra and the antimensium latinum, while in the Byzantine Church,
there is one form only, the Byzantine antimension. Having studied the
antimension in the canonical tradition of the Byzantine and Latin Chur-

232

ches, we would like to close with a thought from the Russian Orthodox
writer Nikolai Vassilyevich Gogol, who wrote in the year 1850 :

"The antimension recalls the time when christians were
persecuted and the Church had no settled abode. They could
not carry an altar from place to place, so they used a Commu-
nion cloth into which relics of the Saints were sewn. To us in
our day the antimension proclaims that the Church is not con-
fined to any exclusive building, city or locality, but rides like
a ship on the waves of this world, nowhere coming to anchor,
for her anchor is cast in heaven." 1

1 Cfr. Nikolai Vassilyvich Gogol, The Divine Liturgy of the Eastern
Orthodox Church (translated from the Russian by Rosemary Edmonds), London:
Dartman, Longman & Todd, 1966, p. 30.

COMPARATIVE CHART REGARDING THE PORTABLE ALTAR

Rite :

LATIN RITE (2 forms)

BYZANTINE RITE

I. Name

Petra Sacra

Latin Antimen-
sium

Byzantine
antimension

II. OlitlL'CLYCL FOYWl

A. Material

Tablet of stone

linen or hemp
cloth

linen or silk cloth

B. Ornamentation

none prescribed

Ikon(s)

C. Inscriptions

none prescribed

purpose & data of
consecration

D. Inclusion of Re-
lics

always

not always

III. Consecration

consecration

simple blessing

B. Minister

Bishop or dele-
gated Priest

Bishop ; Priests not
usually delegated

C. Occasion in rela-
tion to fixed altar

usually apart

always apart

either with or apart
from fixed altar

±j. j^esecra. tion

(Loss of usefulness)

By fracture of
stone or removal
of relics

by becoming un-
fit for purpose

oniy wnen compieta,iy
destroyed

TV TTtfi

A V . KJ So

A. Purpose

always portable
altar, per se

always porta, Die
altar, per se

either portable altar
or corporal

B. Altar cloths and
corporals

alway necessary

always necessary

not necessary when
used in Byzantine
Rite

C. Washing

permitted

discouraged

D. Permission for use:
i. by Bishop

granted by CIC

granted through
Pastorale Munns,
various indults

never seems to have
been restricted

2. by Priest

necessary

necessary but may be
implicit

3. Interritual Use

always permitted

may be permitted
through Pastora-
le Munus and va-
rous indults

per se still forbidden
to Latin clergy ; may
be permitted through
Pastorale Munus and
various indults

BIBLIOGRAPHY

(Works whose titles are in a language using the Cyrillic
alphabet are placed in their proper alphabetic order, tran-
sliterated into Latin characters ; they are repeated in a se-
parate list by themselves in their proper Cyrillic characters
at the end of this Bibliography).

SOURCES

Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Commentarium Officiate, Romae, 1909.
Acta Sanctae Sedis, 41 vols. Romae, 1865-1908.
Bouse arex, T. L., The Canon Law Digest, 5 vols.

Bull arum Diplomatum et Privilegiorum Sanctorum Romanorum Pontificum Tau-

rinensis Editio, 24 vols, et Appendix, Augustae Taurinonim, 1857.
Caeremoniale Episcoporum, Clementis VIII, Innocenti X, et Benedicti XIII iussu

editum, Benedicti XIV et Leonis XIII auctoritate recognitum? ed. 3*

post typicam, Taurini-Romae, Marietti, 1948.
Codex Iuris Canonici, Pii X Pontincis Maximi iussu digestus Benedicti Papae XV

auctoritate promulgatus, Romae : Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 191 7 ; reim-

pressio, 1949.

Codicis Iuris Canonici Fontes, cura Emi Petri Card. Gasparri editi, 9 vols., Ro-
mae (postea Civitate Vaticana) : Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1 923-1 939.
(Vols. VII-IX ed cura et studio Emi Iustiniani Card. Seredi).

Constitutio de Sacra Liturgia, 5 December 1963, AAS LVI (19641 pp. 97-138.

Corpus Iuris Canonici, ed. Lipsiensis secunda. 2 vols., post Aemilii Ludovici
Richteri curas... instruxit Aemilius Friedberg, 1 8 79-1 88 1 ; ed. anastatica
repetita, Lipsiae : Tauchnitz, 1928.

Cummixgs, D. (translator). The Rudder (translation of IIHAAAIOX, the collec-
tions of Sacred Christian Canons for the Orthodox Church). Chicago :
The Orthodox Christian Educational Society-, 1957.

Decreta Authentica Congregationis Sactorum Rituum, ex actis eiusdem collecta
eiusque auctoritate promulgata sub auspiciis Ss. Domini Xostri Leonis
Papae XIII, 7 vols., vol. I-V, Romae, 1898-1901 ; vol. VI, Appendix, sub

238

auspiciis Pii Papae X, Romae, 1912 ; vol. VII, Appendix, sub auspiciis
Pii Papae XI, Romae, 1927.

Decreta Authentica Congregationis Sacrorum Rituum, ex actis eiusdem collecta,
cura et studio Aloysii Gardellini, ed. 3a, 4 vols., Romae, 1846.

Decretum Gratiani emendatum et notationibus illustratum, una cum glossis, Ro-
mae, 1582.

Mansi, Ioannes, Sacrorum Conciliorum Nova et Amplissima Collectio, 53 vols.,
Parisiis, 1901-1927.

Migne. Patrologiae Cursus Computus: Series Graeca, 161 Vols., Paris; Garmier

Freres, Editeurs, 1878.
Missale Romanum, editio III iuxta Typicam Vaticanam, New York : Benziger

Brothers, 1944.

Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Legum Sectio III, Tomus I, Concilia Aevi
Merovingici (recensuit Fredericus Maassen, Hanoverae, 1893).

Pitra, J. G. Juris Ecclesiastici Graecorum Historia et Monumenta, Rome : 1864.

Rouet De Journel, M. J. Enchiridion Patristicum. Barcelona : Herder, 1962.

S. Congregazione per la Chiesa Orientale - Codificazione Canonica Fonti. Rome :
Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana, 1930.

BOOKS

Abbo, John A. and Hannan, Jerome D. The Sacred Canons (2nd. ed. revised,

2 vols.). St. Louis, Mo. : B. Herder Book Co., i960.
'Abdallah, Alfonso, o.f.m. L' Ordinamento TAturgico di Gabriele V - 88° Pa-

triarca Copto I40g-I42j. Cairo : Edizioni del Centro Francescano di Studi

Orientali Oistiani, 1962.
Abridged Typicon, ed. Archpriest Feodor S. Kovalchuk. Youngstown, Ohio :

Education and Publications Commission of the Patriarchal Parishes of

the Russian Orthodox Church, 1974.
Acudius, P. Tractatus de Concordia Ecclesiae Occidentalis et Orientalis. Paris, 1622.
Adeney, W. F., The Greek and Eastern Churches. Edinburgh : Clark, 1908.
Aigrain, R. Liturgia. Paris : Libraire Bloud et Gay, 1931.

Ainalov, D. V., The Hellenistic Origins of Byzantine Art, trans. Elizabeth &
Serge Sobolevitch). New Brunswick, N.J., Rutgers University Press, 1961.

Alexander, Paul J. The Patriarch Nicephorus of Constantinople. Oxford : Cla-
rendon Press, 1958.

Algermeissen, K. Christian Denominations. St. Louis, Mo. : B. Herder Book
Co., 1957-

Allatius, Leo, De Ecclesiae Occidentalis atque Orientalis Perpetua Consensione.
Cologne, 1648.

Allatius, Leo, De Libris Ecclesiasticis Graecorum. Paris, 1645.

Almazov, A. Neizdannye kanoniceskie otvety konstyntinopolskago patriarkha Luky

Khrizoverga i mitropolita Rodosskago Nila. Odessa, 1903.
Alpatov M. W., and Dacenko, Olga, Art. Treasures of Russia. New York :

Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1967.
Amman, A. M., Storia delta Chiesa Russa e dei Paesi limitrofi. Torino : Unione

tipografico-Editrice Torinese, 1948.
Andrews, Dean Timothy, The Eastern Orthodox Church, a Bibliography. New

York : Greek Archdiocese Publication Department, 1957-
Andrieu, Michel. Le Pontifical Romain au Moyen-Age (4 vols.). Citta del Va-

ticano : Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Studi e Tesi, nos. 86, 87, 88 & 99),

I938» I94°» I94I-

240

Annuario Pontificio 1974. Citta del Vaticano : Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana,
1974-

Antonelli, F., Falsini, R., et al. Commento alia Constituzione Liturgica. Mi-

lano : Societa Editrice "Vita e Pensiero", 1964.
At chi episcopal and Patriarchal Autonomy, A Symposium held on July 15, 1972.

New York : Fordham University, 1972.
Arcudius, Petrus, De Concordia Ecclesiae Occidentalis et Orientalis in Septem

Sacramentorum A dmini strati one, libri VII. Paris, 1672.
Art Treasures in Russia, eds. Bernard Meyers & Trewin Copplestone. New

York : McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1970.
Assemani, J. A., Codex Liturgicus Ecclesiae Universae in XV Libros Distributus,

13 vols. Rome, 1 749-1 766 (photographic reprint, Paris-Leipzig, 1902).
Attwater, Donald. A Catholic Dictionary (3rd ed.). New York : The Mac

Millan Co., 1961.

Attwater, Donald. The Christian Churches of the East, (2 vols, revised edition).

Milwaukee, Wisconsin : The Bruce Publishing Co., 1961.
Bacinskij, Alexander. Slulebnik Sviatitelskij . Lvov : A. Prislak, 1886.
Barauna, Guglielmo, o.f.m. et alibi. La Sacra Lituvgia Rinnovata dal Con-

cilio. Torino : Elle Di Ci, 1965.
Barnea, Ioan. TO IIAAAIO XPILITIANON TOT 0IALTHPION. Athens,

1940.

Barr, Robert. Main Currents in Early Christian Thought. Glen Rock, N.J. :
Press, 1966.

Bassett, William Wt. The Determination of Rite. Rome : Typis Pontificiae
Universitatis Gregorianae, 1967.

Belluco, Bartholomaeus, o.f.m. Facultates Superiorum Religiosorum Rescr.
Pont. d. 4 novembris 1964 concessae cum adnotationibus. Rome : Pontificium
Athenaeum Antonianum, 1966.

Belluco, Bartholomaeus, o.f.m. Novissimae Ordinariorum Locorum Facul-
tates. Rome : Pontificium Athenaeum Antonianum, 1964.

Benjamin (Bishop of Nizergorod and Arzamass). Novaja Skrilal Hi Objasnenie,
0 Cerkvi i Utvarjakh Cerkovnikh. St. Petersburgh : I. L. Tuzova, 1908.

Benz, Ernst. The Eastern Orthodox Church. Garden City, New York : Anchor
books - Doubleday & Co., 1963.

Berko, A. (translator). The Order for the Celebration of Vespers, Matins and the
Divine Liturgy According to the Ruthenian Recension. Washington, D.C. :
(no publisher ; printed by "Redeemer's Voice", Yorktown, Sask., Canada),
1957-

Bertoni, L. et alibi. L' Edificio Sacro per la Communita Cristiana. Brescia : Que-
riniana (Collana "Culmen et Fons" no. 11), 1966.

24I

Beza, Marcu, The Rumanian Church. London : S.P.C.K., 1943.

Bilahych, Joannes, Synodus Zamostiana an. 1720 (eius celebratio, approbatio et

momentum). Rome : Pontificia Universitas Lateranensis (Theses ad Lau-

ream n. 161), i960.

Bliley, Nicholas Martin. Altars According to The Codex of Canon Law. Wa-
shington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press, 1927.

Bolshakoff, S. Foreign Missions of the Russian thurch. London : S.P.C.K. ;
New York : MacMillan, 1943.

Bolshakoff, S. Russian Nonconformity. Philadelphia : Ryerson Press, 1951.

Borgia, Nilo. II Commentario Liturgico di S. Germano Patriarcha Constantino-
politano e la Versione Latina di Anastasio Bibliotecario. Grottaf errata : Ba-
dia S. Nilo, 191 2.

Borgia, Nilo, / Monaci Basiliani d' Italia in Albania, 2 vols. Rome, 1935.
Borgia, Nilo, Origine delta Liturgia Bizantina. Grottaferrata : Badia di S. 6ilo,
1933-

Bornert, Rene, o.s.b. Les Commentaires Byzantins de la Divine Liturgie du
VI Ie au XVe Siecle. Paris : Institut Francais d'Etudes Byzantines, 1966.

Bouscaren, T. Lincoln. The Canon Law Digest (5 vols.). Milwaukee : The
Bruce Publishing Co., 1934-.

Bouyer, Louis. Spiritualita Bizantina e Ortodossa. Bologna, Edizione Deho-
niane, 1968.

Braga, Carlo C. M. Instructio ad Executionem Constitutionis de Sacra Liturgia
Recte Ordinandam, cum Commentario. Rome : Edizioni Liturgiche, 1964.

Braga, Carlo, cm. Le Cerimonie delta Messa (10th ed.). Roma : Edizioni Li-
turgiche, 1968.

Braga, Carlo, cm. Rinnovamento delta Liturgia. Rome : Edizioni Liturgiche,
1965.

Braun, Joseph. Der Christliche Altar in seiner geshictlichen Entwicklung (2 vols.).

Munich : Gunther Koch, 1924.
Braun, Joseph. Die Liturgische Gexandung in Occident und Orient. Frieburg, 1924.
Braun, Joseph. Die Liturgische Paramente in Gegenwart und Vergangenheit.

Freiburg, 1924.

Bray, R. G. A. de, Guide to the Slavonic Languages. London : J. M. Dent ; New

York : E. P. Dutton & Co., 1951-
Briault, R. P. M. L' Architecture en Pays de Mission. Paris : Desclee de Brou-

wer, 1937.

Brightman, F. E. Liturgies Eastern and Western, vol. I, Eastern Liturgies (only
volume published). Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1896.

British Museum - Guide to the Early Christian and Byzantine Antiquities. Lon-
don : British Museum, 1921.

17 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

242

Brlek, M. Methodologia Historico-Iuridica. Rome : Pontificium Athenaeum
Antonianum, 1958.

Brunello, Aristide. Le Chiese Orientali e I'Unione. Milan: Editrice Massimo,
1966.

Buijs, L. Facultates Ordinariorum et Legatorum Sanctae Sedis in Missionibus
necnon Facultates et Gratiae Pro America Latina et insulis Philippinis,
Romae : Apud Aedes Llniversitatis Gregorianae, 1963.

Buijs, L., s.j. Facultates Religiosorum concessae Rescripto Pontipcio diei 6 no-
vembris 1964, Rome : Pontificia Universitas Gregoriana, 1965.

Bulgakov, C. V. Nastoljnaja kniga dlja SvjaSdenno-Cerkovno-Slutitlej , Harkov:
Tipografija Gubernskago Pravlenija, 1900 (photomechanically reproduced
Graz, Austria : Akademischen Druck - u. Verlagsanstalt, 1965).

Bulgakov, M. Patriarkh Nikon V dele ispravljenia cerkovnych knig i obriadov,
Moscow, 1 88 1.

Bulgaris, Nicolas. A Holy Catechism, or Explanation of the Divine and Holy
Liturgy and Examination of Candidates for Ordination. Now revised... and
edited at the expense of Messers. Andriades and Polytatsis. Constantinople:
Patriarchal Press, 1861 ; translation printed London : Masters, 1893.

Butler, Alfred. The Ancient Coptic Churches of Egypt (2 vols.). Oxford : The
Clarendon Press, 1884.

Buxton, D. R. Russian Medieval Architecture. Cambridge: University Press, 1934.

The Byzantine Liturgy, A New English Translation of the Liturgies of St. John
Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great, 3rd revised ed. New York : The Russian
Center (Fordham University), 1959.

Cabasilas, Nicholas, vide Hussey.

Cabrol, F. Les Origines Liturgiques. Paris, 1906.

Callewaert, C. Liturgicae Institutiones, 3 vols. Bruges, 1933-1937.
Callinicos, C. Greek Orthodox Catechism. Milwaukee : Morehouse, 1926.
Capobianco, Pacificus, o.f.m. Privilegia et Facultates Ordinis Fratrum Mino-

rum, Rome : Pontificium Atheneum Antonianum, 1961.
Cappello, Felix M. Tractatus Canonico-M oralis de Sacramentis iuxta Codicem

Iuris Canonici (3 vols.), Torino : Marietti Editore, 1921.
Casel, Odo. Le Mystere du Culte dans le Christianisme. Paris, 1946.
Cerkovnij Izbornik. Uzgorod, 1910.

Chadwick, Henry. The Early Church. (The Pelican History of the Church : 1).
London : Penguin Books Ltd., 1967.

Charon, C. (alias Cyril Korolevskij), Le Rite Byzantin dans les Patriarchats Mel-
kites, Rome : Tipografia Propaganda Fide.

Chornackij, A. O. Zapadnoruskaja Cerkovnaja Unia v jeja bogosluieniu i ivria-
dach, Kiev : 1871.

243

1974 Church Calendar and Rubrics, Revised Julian {New Style). New York :
The Orthodox Church in America, 1974.

Christian Art of the 4th to 12th Centuries, Gen. ed. Francesco Abbate, trans. Pa-
mela Swingelhurst. London : Octopus Books, 1972.

Cicognani, Amleto Giovanni Cardinal. Canon Law (authorized English version
by Joseph O'Hara and Francis Brennan), Philadelphia : The Dolphin
Press, 1934.

Cin Arkhijerejskago Djejsva Boiestvennikh Liturgij i osvjaicjenia Antiminsov i
Cerkvei. Moscow : 1668.

Cinovnik Arkhijerejskago Svjascjennosluljenija. Warsaw : The Orthodox Metro-
politan Press, 1 94 1.

Cinovnik Arkhijerejskago Svjafcennoslu&enija. Jordanville, New York : St. Job

of Pochiaev and Holy Trinity Monastery Press, 1965.
Cin Bogosluzenija Vostocnoj Cerkvi. S. Petersburgh : Synodal Press, 1849.
Codrington, H. W. Studies of the Syrian Liturgies. London : Geo. E. J. Cold-
well, Ltd., 1952 (reprinted from Eastern Churches Quarterly, 1936-37).
Commentary on the Documents of Vatican II, gen. ed. Herbert Vorgrimler, 5 vols.

New York : Herder and Herder, 1967.
Conciliorum Oecumenorum Decreta, (edidit Centro di Documentazione, Istituto

per le Scienze Religiose— Bolognam curantibus Josepho Aberigo, Perikle-P.

Joannou, Claudio Leonardi, Paulo Frodi ; consultante Huberto Jedin.

Freiburg im Breisgau : Herder, 1962.
Congar, Yves, o.p. The Mystery of the Temple. London : Burns & Oates, 1962.
Consecration et Inauguration d'une Eglise selon le Rituel de I'Eglise Russe. Chev-

togne, Belgium : Monastere de Chevtogne, 1957.
Coronata, Matthaeus Conte a. Interpretatio Authentica Codicis Iuris Canonici

et circa ipsum Sanctae Sedis Iurisprudentia 1916-1940. Rome : Marietti

Editori, 1940.

Coronata, Matthaeus Conte a. Institutiones Iuris Canonici ; De Sacramentis

(2nd ed.), Rome : Marietti Editori, 1951.
Coussa, Acacius Cardinalis, b.a. Epitome Praelectionum de lure Ecclesiastico

Orientali, vol. I. Grottaferrata (Rome) : Typis Monasterii Exarchici Cryp-

toferratensis, 1948.

Couturier, Abel. Cours de Liturgie Grecque-Melkite, 3 vol. Jerusalem : Im-

primerie des PP. Franciscains de Terre Sainte, 1930.
Cracco, Amedeo. Breve cor so di Missionologia (2nd ed.), Padua : Missioni Fran-

cescane, 1964.

Culm an, O., Le Culte dans V Eglise Primitive. Paris, 1944.

Cummings, D. The Rudder (Pedalion), Chicago : The Orthodox Christian Edu-
cational Society, 1957.

244

Cuttat, Jacques-Albert. The Encounter of Religions. New York : Descl6e,
i960.

Dabovich, Sebastian. The Holy Orthodox Church. New York : American Review

fo Eastern Orthodoxy Press, 1959.
Dalmais, Irenee-Henri, o.p. The Eastern Liturgies. London : Burns & Oates,

i960.

Dalmais, Irenee, o.p. Introduction to the Liturgy. London, 1961.

Daniel, H. A. Codex Liturgicus Ecclesiae Universae in Epitomen redactus, 4 vols.

Leipzig, 1 847-1 853.
Danzas, J. N. The Russian Church. London : Sheed & Ward, 1936.
Dausend, Hugo, o.f.m. Das Interrituelle Recht im Codex Iuris Canonici. Pader-

born : Verlag Ferdinand Schoningh, 1939.
Davies, J. G. The Secular Use of Church Buildings. London ; SCM Press, Ltd.,

1968.

Day, Peter D. Eastern Christian Liturgies. Shannon, Ireland : Irish University-
Press, 1972.

De Clercq, Carolus. Fontes Iuridici Ecclesiarum Orientalium - Studium Histo-
ricum. Rome : Pont. Institutum Orientalium Studiorum, 1967.

De Hueck Catherine. My Russian Yesterdays. Milwaukee : The Bruce Pu-
blishing Co., 1 95 1.

Deiss, Lucien. Early Sources of the Liturgy, tran. Benet Weatherhead. Staten

Island, Ne York : Alba House (Paulist Press), 1967.
De Meester, Placidus, o.s.b. Catechesimo Liturgico de Rito Bizantino. Pompei:

Scuola Tipogranca Pont., 1929.
De Meester, Placidus. The Divine Liturgy of Our Father Among the Saints,

John Chrysostom ; Greek Text with Introduction and Notes. London : Burns,

Oates, & Washbourne, Ltd., 1926.
De Meester, Placidus. Rituale-Benedizionale Bizantino (Libro II, Parte VI

Studi di Rito Bizantino ; vol. unicum). Roma : Tipografia Leonina, 1930.
De Meester, Placidus. Studi sui Sacramenti amministrati secondo il Rito Bi-
zantino. Rome : Edizioni Litrgiche, 1947.
Demetrakopoulos, George H. Dictionary of Orthodox Theology. New York ;

Philosophical Library, 1964.
De Vaux, Roland. Ancient Israel. London : Darton, Longman and Todd,

1961.

Denzinger, Heinrich Joseph Dominik. Ritus Orientalium Coptorum, Syro-
rum, et Armenorum, in administrandis Sacramentis, 2 vols. Wiceburgi :
typis et sumptibus Stahelianis, 1863.

de Toth, G. B. L'Arcibasilica di S. Giovanni in Later ano. Rome : Spinosi, 1966.

De Vries, Wl. Der Cristliche Osten in Geschicte und Gegenwart. Wuerzburg, 1951-

245

Diederichs, Michael Ferdinand. Thd Jurisdiction of Latin Ordinaries over

their Oriental Subjects. Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of

America Press (Canon Law Studies no. 229), 1946.
Diehl, Charles. Byzantium : Greatness and Decline, trans. Naomi Walford.

New Brunswick, New Jersey : Rutgers University Press, 1957.
The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Compiled by a committee of St.

John's Russian Orthodox Church). Passaic, N. J. : St. John's Russian

Orthodox Church, 1964.
The Divine Liturgy According to St. John Chrysostom, with Appendices. New

York : The Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America, 1967.
The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Greek

and English (ed. George Mastrantonis). St. Louis, Missouri : O Logos

Mission, Publisher, 1966.
Dix, Dom Gregory. The Shape of the Liturgy. London : Dacre Press - Adam &

Charles Black, reprinted 1964.
The Doctrine of the Russian Church being the Primer or Spelling book, The Shorter

and Longer Catechisms, and a Treatise on the Duty of Parish Priests, trans.

R. W. Blackmore. New York : Appleton, 1845 (reprinted by Eastern

Orthodox Books, P. O. Box 302, Willits, California, 1973).
Dogolnitjelnij Trebnik. Kiev : Pechersk Lavra, 1871.

Dogolnitjelnij Trebnik. Kiev : Tipogranja Kievo-Pecerskija Ouspenskija Lavri,
1921.

Dolnicky, I. Typik. Lvov, 1899.

Du Cange, Charles. Glossarium ad Scriptores Mediae et Infimae Graecitatis (2
vols.). London : Anissonios, Joan. Posuel & Claue. Rigaud, 1688.

Duchesne, L. Christian Worship, its Origin and Evolution. London : S.P.C.K.,
5TH Ed., 1927.

Duchesne, L. The Churches Separated from Rome. London : S.P.C.L., 1907.
Duchesne, L. Origines du Culte Chretien, 3rd ed. Paris, 1903-
Duffv, Ambrose. The Use of the Portable Altar Extra Loca Sacra. Rome : An-
gelicum, 1966.

Duskie, John Aloysius\ The Canonical Status of the Orientals in the United
States. Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press
(Canon Law Studies no. 48), 1928.

Dvornik, Francis. The Photian Schism, History and Legend. Cambridge : Uni-
versity Press, 1948.

Dziob, Michael W. The Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Church. Washing-
ton, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press (Canon Law Studies
no. 214), 1945.

Eisenhofer, L. Handbuch Der Katholischen Liturgik, 2 vols. Freiburg, 1932.

246

Eisenhofer, Luwig and Lechner, Joseph. The Liturgy of the Roman Rite.

Edinburgh and New York : Nelson, 1961.
Ellis, P. The Men and Message of the Old Testament. Collegeville, Minnesota :

The Liturgical Press, 1963.
Emhardt, Burgess, Lou. The Eastern Church in the Western World. Milwaukee:

Morehouse Publishing Co., 1928.
EYXOAOriON TO META (Euchologion to Mega, Greek Catholic). Rome :

Vatican Polyglot Press, 1873.
ETXOAOriON TO META, ed. loan. Martinos. Athens : Tipografeion Kon-

stantinos Antoniade, 1899.
ETXOAOriON TO MET A ed. Nicholas Pan. Papadopoulos. Athens : Michael I.

Saliveros, 1927.

The Great Euchologion (in Arabic). Jerusalem : Franciscan Fathers' Press,
1865.

The Larger Book of Needs (Euchologion in Arabic), translated and compiled by-
Raphael Haweeny, Bishop of Brooklyn and Head of the Syrian Greek
Orthodox Mission in North America. New York : The Daily Mirror Pu-
blishing House, 1 91 3.

Every, George. Basic Liturgy. London : The Faith Press, 1961.

Every, George. The Byzantine Patriarchate, 451-1204. London : S.P.C.K.,
1947-

Every, George. Misunderstandings between East and West. Richmond, Va. :
John Knox Press, 1966 (Ecumenical Studies in History, no. 4).

Feldhaus, Aloysius H. Oratories, Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University
of America Press (Canon Law Studies no. 42), 1927.

Festus. De Verborum Significatu Quae Super sunt Cum Pauli Epitome. Buda-
pest : 1899.

Fortescue, Adrian. Eastern Churches. London, 1909.
Fortescue, Adrian. The Lesser Eastern Churches. London, 1913.
Fortescue, Adrian. The Greek Fathers. London : The Catholic Truth Society,
1908.

Fortescue, Adrian. The Orthodox Eastern Church, 3rd ed. London : Catholic

Truth Society, 1908.
Fortescue, Adrian. The Uniate Eastern Churches, The Byzantine Rite in Italy,

Sicily, Syria and Egypt. New York : Frederick Ungar Publishing Co.,

1923.

French, Reginald Michael. The Eastern Orthodox Church. London : Hut-
chinson & Co., 1 95 1.

French, Reginald Michael. Serbian Church Life. London : S.P.C.K. ; New
York : MacMillan, 1942.

247

Galavaris, George. Bread and the Liturgy, The Symbolism of Early Christian
and Byzantine Bread Stamps. Madison, Wisconsin : The University of
Wisconsin Press, 1970.

Gambari, Elio, Facolta Speciali dei Superiori Generali. Milano, Editore An-
cora, 1965.

Gary, Dorothy Hales and Payne, Robert. The Splendors of Byzantium.

New York : The Viking Press, 1967.
Garcia y Garcia, Antonio. Historia del Derecho Canonico, vol. I, El Primer

Milenio. Salamanca : Instituto de Historia de la Teologia Espafiola, Sub-

sidia I, 1967.

Gatti, C. & Korolevskij, C. / Riti e Le Chiese Orientali. Genoa, 1942.

Gasparri, Pietro Care. Tractatus Canonicus de Sanctissima Eucharistia, 2 vols.
Paris : Delhomme et Briguet, 1897.

Gavin, Frank. Some Aspects of Contemporary Greek Orthodox Thought. Mil-
waukee : Morehouse Publishing Co., 1923.

Geanakopolos, Deno John. Byzantine East and Latin West. New York : Harper
Torch Books (The Academy Library), 1966.

Gideon, M. Kanonikai Diataxeis.

Gill, Joseph, S. J. . The Council of Florence. Cambridge : The University Press,
I959-

Goar, Jacobus, ETXOAOriON sive Rituale Graecorum. Venice : Bartholemew

Jovarina, 1730 (Photo reprint, Graz, Austria : Akademischen Druk - u.

Verlagsanstalt, 1 960) .
Godley, James. Time and Place for the Celebration of Mass. Washington, D.C. :

The Catholic University of America Press (Canon Law Studies no. 275),

1948.

Gogol, Nikolai Vassilyevich. The Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox
Church, trans. Rosemary Edmonds. London : Dartman, Longman &
Todd, 1966.

Gorbach, Alexios. Tres Textus Liturgici Linguae Ecclesiastica [Paled) Slavicae

in Manuscriptis Vaticanis (in Ukrainian). Rome : Editiones Catholicae

Universitatis Ucrainorum S. Clementis Papae, 1966.
Gordillo, Mauricius. Compendium Theologiae Orientalis. Rome : Pont. Insti-

tutum Orientalium Studiorum, 1950.
Gosen, Ivan. Antimins't' , (in Bulgarian). Sofia : Khudozinik' Press, 1925.
Grabar, A. Byzantine Painting. New York : Skira & Co., 1953-
Gulovich. Windows Westward. New York : MacMillan & Co., 1947-
Habert, J. Archieratikon, Liber Pontificalis Ecclesiae Graecae. Paris, 1643.
Hackel, Sergei. The Orthodox Church. London: Ward Lock Educational Ltd.,

1971, 1973 (reprinted).

248

Hamilton, J. A. Byzantine Architecture and Decoration. New York, 1934.
Hammond, C. E. Ancient Liturgies. Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1878.
Hanssens, J. M. Institutiones Liturgicae de Ritibus Orientalibus : tt. II and III :

de Missa ; Appendices et indices ad tt. II et III ; 3 vols. Rome : Apud

Aedes Pont. Universitatis Gregorianae, 1930-1932.
Hapgood, Isabel Florence. Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apo-
stolic Church (3rd revised edition). New York : Syrian Antiochian Orthodox

Diocese of New York And All North America, 1956.
Hardy, E. R. Christian Egypt. New York : New York University Press, 1952.
Heiler, Friederich. Die Ostkirche. Munich : E. Reinhardt, 1971.
Henry, Joseph Arthur. The Mass and Holy Communion : Interritual Law.

Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press (Canon Law

Studies no. 235), 1946.
Heering, J. The First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. London: The Ep-

worth Press, 1962.

Hernandez, Angel Santos. Iglesias de Oriente, vol. II, Repertorio Bibliografico.
Santander : Editorial Sal Terrae, 1963.

Hertling, Ludwig, s.j., and Kirschbaum, Engelbert, s.j. The Roman Ca-
tacombs and their Martyrs (translated by M. Joselh Costelloe, s.j.), Lon-
don : Darton, Longman & Todd, i960.

Holloway, H. A Study of the Byzantine Liturgy. London : The Mitre Press, 1934.

Hopko, Father Thomas. The Orthodox Faith (3 vols.). New York : The Depart-
ment of Religious Education of the Orthodox Church in America, 197 1.

Hughes, Phillip. The Church in Crisis : A History of the General Councils,
323-1870. Garden City, New York : Hanover House (A Division of Dou-
bleday & Co., Inc.), 1961.

Hussey, J. M., and McNulty, P. A. Nicholas Cabasilas : A Commentary on the
Divine Liturgy. London : S.P.C.K., 1966.

Iswolsky, Helen. Soul of Russia. London : Sheed & Ward, 1944.

James, M. The Apocryphal New Testament. Oxford : The Clarendon Press, 1924.

Janin, Raymond. Eglises Orientales et les Rites Orienteaux, 4th ed. Paris, 1955-

Janin, Raymond. The Separated Eastern Churches., St. Louis, I9*3-

Jugie, Martin. Theologia Dogmatica Christianorum Orientalium ab Ecclesia
Catholica Dissidentium, 5 vols., Paris, 1926-1935.

Jungmann, Josef A. The Early Liturgy, to the Time of Gregory the Great, trans.
Francis A. Brunner. Notre Dame, Indiana : University of Notre Dame
Press, 1959.

Jungmann, Josef A. The Mass of the Roman Rite, its Origins and Development
{Missarum Solemnia), trans. Francis A. Brunner, 2 vols. Nei York : Ben-
ziger Bros., 1951, 1956.

249

Jungmann, J. A. Liturgical Worship. New York, 1941.

Jurgens, William A. The Faith of the Early Fathers. Collegeville, Minnesota :

The Liturgical Press, 1970.
Kallinikos, K. ' O Xptcmavixdc; Na6s, Alexandria, 1929.

Kammerer, W. A Coptic Bibliography. Michigan : Michigan University Press,
1950-

Kern, Cyprien. Les Traductions Russes des Textes Patristiques, Guide Biblio-

graphique. Chevtogne : Editions de Chevtogne, 1957.
Kidd, B. J. The Churches of Eastern Christendom. London : Faith Press,

1927.

King, Archdale A. Liturgy of the Roman Church. Milwaukee : The Bruce Pu-
blishing Co., 1957.

King, Archdale A. Notes on the Catholic Liturgies. London, 1930.

King, Archdale A. The Rites of Eastern Christendom, 2 vols. Rome : Catholic
Book Agency, 1948.

King, John Glenn. The Rites and Ceremonies of the Greek Church, in Russia,
Containing an Account of its Doctrine, Worship, and Discipline. London,
1772.

Kivko, John. Dictionary of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Bridgeport, Connec-
ticut : Metropolitan Council Publications Committeel 1963 (Orthodox Edu-
cation Series, Booklet No. 5).

Kiwicz (Kiwitz), Denis Rudolph. Hallowing of a Church {Studies in the Rus-
sian Euchologium, Part. I). Rome : Pontificium Institutum Orientalium
Studiorum, 1954.

Kizak, J. Kratkij Ucebnik Cerkovnago Ustava. Uzhorod, 1912.

Kleinheyer, Bruno. Der Altar ist die Mitte. Limburg : Lahn-Verlag,
1962.

Kondakov, N. P. The Russian Icon. Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1927.
Kovacevic-Duje, P. F. Sintesi di Teologia Orientate dei " Pravoslavi" . Rome :

Desclee & Ci., i960.
Krautheimer, Richard. Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture. Baltimore,

Md. : Penguin Books, 1967.
Kurtscheid, Bertrand, o.f.m. Historia Juris Canonici (reimpressio). Rome:

Omcium Libri Catholici, 1950.
Kuvochinsky, P. The Divine Liturgy of the Holy Orthodox Catholic Apostolic

Graeco-Russian Church. London : Cope & Fenwick, 1909.
Ladomersky, Nicholas. Theologia Orientalis. Rome : Propaganda Fidei,

1953-

Lampe G. W. H. A Patristic Greek Lexicon. Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1961,
fascicle I (1961).

250

Landisev, Evgen. Kratkhij Obnasnitelnij Slovar. St. Petersburg : I. E. Tu-
zova, 1891.

Langford, James and Lloyd, Richard. A Dictionary of the Eastern Orthodox
Church. London : Faith Press ; Milwaukee : Morehouse, 1930.

Larousse Encyclopedia of Byzantine and Medieval Art (ed. Rene Huyghe), New-
York : Prometheus Press, 1963.

Lassus, Jean. The Early Christian and Byzantine World. New York : McGraw-
Hill Book Co., 1967.

Lazarev, Viktor. Old Russian Murals and Mosaics. London : Phaidon Press,
1966.

Le Guillou, M. J. The Spirit of Eastern Orthodoxy. Glen Rock, N.J. : Deus/
Century Books (The Paulist Press), 1964.

Lidell and Scott. A Lexicon {Abridged from Lidell and Scott's Greek-English
Lexicon). Oxford : The Clarendon Press, 1958.

Liesel, Nicholaus. The Eastern Catholic Liturgies ; a Study in Words and Pic-
tures. Westminster, Maryland : The Newman Press, i960.

Liesel, Nikolaus, and Makula, Tibor. The Eucharistic Liturgies of the Eastern
Churches. Collegeville, Minnesota : The Liturgical Press, 1962.

Liesel, Nicholaus. The Eucharistic Liturgies of the Eastern Churches. Colle-
geville, Minnesota : The Liturgical Press, 1963.

Likhachev, N. P. Materily dlja Istorii Russkago Ikonopisanija. St. Petersburgh,
1906.

Little, Peter Paul, s.j. The Meaning of the Altar in the Sacred Scriptures and
in Some Early Christian Writings. Melbourne, 1965 [(Pontificia Universitas
Gregorianae thesis E. 1850/65 (Theologia)J.

Liturgical Catechism on the Sacrifice of the Divine Liturgy. Pittsburgh : Sts. Cyril
and Methodius Seminary Press, 1954.

Lossky, Vladimir. In the Image and Likeness of God. Crestwood, New York :
New York : St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1974.

Lossky, Vladimir. The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church. London:
James Clarke and Co., 1957.

Ma j, Cardinal. Novae Petrum Bibliothecae, tomus V, Sancti Nicephori et Sancti
Theodori Studitae. Rome : Typis Sacri Consilii Propagando Cristiano No-
mini, 1849.

Maltzew, Archpriest Alexios Von. Begrabnis-Rilus und einige specielle und alter-

thumliche Gottesdienste der Orthodox-Katholischen Kirche des Morgenlandes.

Berlin : Karl Siegismund, 1898.
Maltzew, Archpriest Alexios Von. Bitt-, Dank, und Weihe-Gottesdienste der

Orthodox-Katholischen Kirche des Morgenlandes. Berlin : Karl Siegismund,

1897.

Maltzew, Archpriest Alexios. Liturgikon {Slulebnik), Die Liturgien der Orthodox -
katholischen Kirche des Morgenlandes. Berlin : Karl Siegesmund, 1902.

Mancuso, Lawrence. Byzantine Seraphic Typicon, Book I : General Norms.
New Canaan, Connecticut : Monastery of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Hoi 7
Protection Monastery), 1963.

Mandala, Marco. La Protesi delta Liturgia net Rito Bizantino-greco . Grottafer-
rata : Badia Greca di S. Nilo, 1935.

Martimort, Aime-Georges. L'Eglise en Priere, Introduction a la Liturgie (3rd
revised ed.). Tournai : Descl6e & Cie., 1965.

Martini, R. U. Le Tombe Dei Papi. Roma : Angelo Belardetti Editore, 1957.

Marucchi, O., o.f.m. (translated and adapted by Vecchierello, J., o.f.m.). Ma-
nual of Christian Archeology. Paterson, New Jersey : St. Anthony Guild
Press, 1935.

Marusyn, Miroslav. Ordinum Pontificalium in Euchologio Kiovensi saec. XVI
expositio. Rome : Editiones Catholicae Universitatis Ucrainorum S. de-
mentis Papae, 1966.

Mastrantonis, George. Ancient Epitome of the Sacred Canons of the Eastern
Orthodox Church. St. Louis, Mo. : OLOGOS, no date.

Mateos, Juan. La celebration de la parole dans la Liturgie byzantine ; etude his-
torique. Rome : Pontificium Institutum Orientalium Studiorum, 1971.

Mathew, Gervase. Byzantine Painting. London : Faber & Faber, 1950.

Maximilian, Prince of Saxony. Praelectiones de Liturgiis Orientalibus, Tomus
Primus (unicum). Friburgi Brisgoviae, 1908.

Mercenier, E. La Priere des Eglises de Rite Byzantine (2 volumes, with the se-
cond volume in 2 parts, have appeared thus far). Chevtogne, Belgium :
Monastere de Chevtogne, 1947.

Meyendorf, John. The Orthodox Church. London : Darton, Longman & Todd,
1962.

Meyendorf, John. A Study of Gregory Palamas, trans. George Lairance. Lon-
don : Faith Press, 1964.

Michael, Archbishop. The Holy Liturgy Illustrated, trans. John Psillas (Greek and
English). New York : Greek Archdiocese of North and South America, 1957.

Mikita, A. Cerkovnij Typikon. Uzhorod, 1890.

Mikhajlovsky, Basil. Ucenie 0 Pravoslavnom' Bogosluzenij. St. Petersburgh :

Tipografija E. A. Pozdnjakov, 1889.
Miklosich, Franz Von. Lexicon Paleoslavenico-Graeco-Latinum, emendatum

actum. Neudruck der Ausgabe Wien 1862-65 ; Darmstadt : Scientia Verlag

Aalen (fotokop Reprograrischer Betreib Gmbh), 1963.
Miklosich and Muller. Acta et Diplomata Graeca Medii Aevi Sacra et Profayia

Collecta. Vienna, i860 ff.

252

MIKPON EYXOAOriON ATIACMATAPION, Athens : ekdosis tes aposto-
likes Diakonias tes Ekklesias tes Hellados, 1972, 480 pp.

Milasch, Nikodemos, and Pessic, Alexander. Das Kirchenrecht der Morgen-
landischen Kirche (2nd ed.), Mostav : Pacher und Kisic, 1905.

Le Millenaire du Mont Athos g63-ig63, Etudes et Melanges, 2 vols. Chevtogne :
Editions de Chevtogne, 1963.

Miller, John H. Fundamentals of the Liturgy. Notre Dame, Indiana : Fides
Publishers, Inc., 1959.

Mirkovic, Lazar. Pravoslavna Liturgica (2 vols.) Sremski Karlovici : Serbska
Manastirska Shtamparja, 1918, 1920.

Missale Ambrosianum iuxta Ritum Sanctae Ecclesiae Mediolanensis (Editio
Quinta post Typicam). Milan : John Daverio, 1946.

Missale Romano-Seraphicum, ex Decreto Sacrosancti Concilii Tridentini Restitu-
tum Summorum Pontificium Cura Recognitum Missis Trium Ordinum
S.P.N. Francisci Noviter Locupletatum ac Rev. mi P. Augustini Sepinski
Torius Ordinis Fratrum Minorum Ministri Generalis Sollicitudine Impres-
sum, editio prima post typicam. Florence, Ad Claras Aquas (Quaracchi) :
Typis Collegii S. Bonaventurae, 1954.

Missale Romanum ex Decreto Sacrosancti Concilii Tridentini Restitutum, S. Pii V
Pontificis Maximi Jussu Editum, aliorum Pontificium Cura Recognitum, a
Pio X Refomatum, et Benedicti XV Auctoritate Vulgatum, editio VIII juxta
Typicam Vaticanam amplificata III. New York : Benziger Brothers, Inc.,
I949-

Missale Romanum, ex decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II in-

stauratum auctoritate Pauli PP. VI promulgatum, Editio Typica, Rome :

Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1970.
A Monk of the Eastern Church, Orthodox Spirituality. London : S.P.C.K., 1957.
Moreau, F. J. Les Liturgies Eucharistiques. Paris : Vromant & Cie., 1924.
Mouravieff (Muraviev), A. N. A History of the Church of Russia. Oxford :

Clarendon Press, 1842.
Myslivec, J. The Icon. Charleston, South Carolina : Leventis Realty,

1957-

Nabuco, Joachim. Pontificalis Romani Expositio Iuridico-Practica, Functiones
Pontificates Extraor dinar i as (editio secunda iuxta novam editionem Pon-
tificalis Romani revisa). Tournai : Desclee & Cie., 1962.

Neale, John Mason. A History of the Holy Eastern Church. London : Joseph
Master, 1850.

Neapolitansky, A. Cerkovnyj Ustav. Moscow, 1895.

The New Sacramentary. Collegeville, Minnesota : The Liturgical Press, 1974.
Nikita, Alexander. Cerkovnij Tipikon. Ungvar : 1901.

253

Nikolskij, Costa ntine. Ob Antiminsach Pravoslavnoi Russkoj Cerkvi. St. Pe-
tersburg, v Tipografia Kakova Treja, 1872.

Nikolskij, Constantine, Posobije k izuceniju Ustavu BogosluZenija Pravoslavnoj
Cerkvi. St. Petersburg, 1900 (Photomechanischer Nackdruck der Aka-
demischen Druk - u. Verlagsanstalt, Graz, Austria, i960).

O'Brien, John. A History of the Mass and its Ceremonies in the Eastern and
Western Church. New York, 1880.

O'Connell, J. B. Church Building and Furnishing, the Church's Way. London :
Burns & Oates (Cardinal Books), 1955.

Oesterley, W. Jewish Background of the Christian Liturgy. Oxford : The Cla-
rendon Press, 1925.

Oppenheim, Ph. Institutiones Systematico-Historicae in Sacram Liturgiam, 8

vols. Rome, 1939-1945.
The Order For the Celebration of Vespers, Matins, and the Divine Liturgy According

to the Ruthenian Recension (A translation by Matthe A. Berko of Ordo

Celebrationis Vesperarum, Matutini et Divinae Liturgiae iuxta Recensionem

Ruthenorum, published by the Sacred Congregation for the Eastern Churchs,

Rome 1944). Yoktown, Sask., Canada : Redeemer's Voice Press, 1957.
Ordo Celebrationis Vesperarum, Matutini, et Divini Liturgiae iuxta Recensionem

Ruthenorum, (editio altera), Romae : Sacra Congregatio pro Ecclesia Orien-

tali (tipografia Pio X), 1953.
Ordo Missae Ritus Servandus in Celebratione Missae et de Defectibus in Celebratione

Missae Occurrentibus, Citta de Vaticano : Typis Poliglottis Vaticanis, 1965.
Oriente Cattolico, Cenni Storici e Statistiche. Citta del Vaticano : Sacra Congre-

gazione per la Chiesa Orientale, 1962.
Ostrogorsky, George. History of the Byzantine State, trans. Joan Hussey,

New revised Edition (Rutgers Byzantine Series). New Brunswick, New

Jersery : Rutgers University Press, 1969-
Ouspensky, Leonid and Lossky, Vladimir. The Meaning of Icons, trans. G. E. H.

Palmer and E. Kadloubovsky. Boston : Boston Book & Art Shop. Inc., 1969.
Palmieri, Aurelius. Theologia Dogmatica Orthodoxa (Ecclesiae Graeco-Russicae) .

Florence : Libreria; Editrice Fiorentina, 191 1.
Palmer, William. Notes of a Visit to the Russian Church. London : Kegan Paul

Trench & Co., 1882.
Papp-Szilagyi, Joseph. Enchiridion Juris Ecclesiae Orientalis (2nd ed.). Magno-

Veradini : ed. Typis E. Hollosy, 1880.
Papaioannou, Kostas. Byzantine and Russian Painting, trans. Janet Sondhei-

mer. New York, Funk and Wagnalls, 1965.
Paraskevas, John E. The Eastern Orthodox Church ; a Brief History. Washing-
ton, D.C. : El Greco Press, 1969.

254

Paschang, John Linus. The Sacramentals According to the Code of Canon Law.
Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press, 1925.

Paventi, Xaverius. Breviarium Juris Missionalis (editio secunda). Roma : Of-
ficio Libri Catholici, 1961.

Paventi, Saverio (Xaverius). La Chiesa Missionaria. Roma : Unione Missio-
naria del Clero in Italia (Topografia Editrice M. Pisani - Isola di Liri), 1950.

Pedalion vid Cummings, D.

Peeters o.f.m., Hermes. Facultates quas Ordinarii et Missionarii habere solent,
cum Brevi Commentario (3rd ed.). Rome : Pontificium Athenaeum An-
tonianum, i960.

Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Christian Tradition, A History of the Development of

Doctrine, Vol. 2 : The Spirit of Eastern Christendom (600-1700). Chicago :

The University of Chicago Press, 1974.
Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Spirit of Eastern Christendom : 600-1700. Chicago :

The University of Chicago Press, 1974.
Pitra, J. B. Juris Ecclesiastici Graecorum Historia et Monumenta iussu Pii IX

Pont. Max. (2 vols.). Rome : Typis S. Congregationis de Propaganda

Fide, 1868.

Podhradsky, Gerhard. New Dictionary of the Liturgy. London : Geoffrey
Chapman, 1967.

Pokrovskij, N. V. Cerkovno-Arkheologiceskij Muzej. St. Petersburgh : S. Pe-
terburgskok Akademii, 1909.

Pontificate Romanum (pars secunda). Rome : Typis Rev. Camerae Apostolicae
apud Salviuccios, 1848.

Pontificate Romanum (pars secunda) (editio typica emendata). Rome : Typis
Poliglottis Vaticanis, 1961.

Pospishil, Victor. Code of Oriental Canon Law, the Law on Persons. Ford City.
Pennsylvania : St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church (printed by "Ame-
rica," 817 N. Franklin Street, Philadelphia, Pa.) i960.

Pospishil, Victor. Jnterritual Canon Law Problems in the United States and
Canada. Chesapeake City, Maryland : St. Basil's (sic), 1955.

The Priest's Guide, Brooklyn, New York : Syrian Orthodox Archdiocese, 1951.

The Priest's Service Book, 2 vols. New York : The Orthodox Church in Ame-
rica, 1973.

Puniet, P. de. The Roman Pontifical, A History and Commentary. New York :
Longmans, 1932.

Quasten, John. Monumenta Eucharistica et Liturgica Vetustissima. Bonn,

1937-

Rad6, Polvcarpus, o.s.b. Enchirdion Liturgicum (complectens Theologiae Sa-
cramentalis et Dogmata et Leges) (2 vols.). Rome : Herder & Co., 1961.

255

Raes, Alphonsus, s.j. Introductio in Liturgiam Orientalem. Rome : Pontificium
Institutum Orientalium Studiorum, 1947.

Rahmani, Patriarche Ignace Ephrem II. Les Liturgies Orientales et Occidentales.
Beirut : Imprimerie Patriarchate Syrienne, 1929.

Raya, Joseph, Archbishop and Vinck, Jose De, Baron. Byzantine Daily Wor-
ship. Allendale, New Jersey : Alleluia Press, 1969.

Rajewsky, Archpriest Michael. Euchologion der Orthodox-Katholischen Kirche.
Vienna : Druch Von. L. C. Zamarski & C. Dittmarsch, 1861.

Regatillo, Edwards F., s.j. Ius Sacramentarium (4th ed.), Santander : Edi-
torial Sal Terrae, 1964.

Renaudot, Eusebius. Liturgiarum Orientalium Collectio, 2 vols., II ed., Frank-
fort am Main : Joseph Baer, 1847.

Rhallis, G. A. & Potlis, M. STNTArMA TON 0EIQN KAI IEPDN KANONQN.
5 vols. Athens : G. Charitophylakos, 1852-1855.

Rice, David Talbot. Byzantine Art. New York : Penguin Books, 1954.

Rice, Tamara Talbot. Icons. London : Batchworth Press, 1959.

Righetti, Mario. Manuale di Storia Liturgica (4 vols.), 2nd ed. Milan : Editrice
Ancora, 1950, (Vol. I & II, 3rd revised ed, 1966).

The Roman Missal : The Sacramentary. Collegeville, Minnesota : The Liturgical
Press, 1970.

Rotelle, John E. A Continuing Tradition : The Missal of 1570 - The Missal

of 1970. Washington, D.C. : U.S.C.C. Publications Office, 1972.
Rothemund, B. Byzantinische und Russische Stickereien. Munich : Slavisches

Institut Miinchen, 1961.
Roulin, E. Modern Church Architecture, trans. C. Cornelia Craigie and John

A. Southwell. St. Louis, Mo. ; B. Herder Book Co., 1947-
Runciman Steven. Byzantine Civilization. Cleveland and New York : The

World Publishing Co. (Meridian Books), 1933 (10th printing 1967).
Runciman, Steven. The Fall of Constantinople, 1453- Cambridge : Cambridge

University Press, 1965.
Sadlowski, Erwin L. The Sacred Furnishings of Churches. Washington, D.C. :

The Catholic University of America Press (Canon Law Studies no. 315),

i95i-

Salaville, Severien. Cdrdmonial de la consecration d'une dglise selon le rite by-

zantin. Rome : Vatican Polyglot Press, 1937-
Salaville, Severien. An Introduction to the Study of the Eastern Liturgies

(adapted from the French by John M. T. Barton). London : Sands & Co.,

Ltd., 1938.

Sartori, Cosmas, o.f.m. Iuris Missionarii Elementa. Rome : Libreria S. Anto-
nio, 1951.

256

Sartori, C. and Belluco, B. Enchiridion Canonicum. Rome : Pontificium
Athenaeum Antonianum, 1963.

Sauget, J. M. Bibliographie des Liturgies Orientates (1900-1960). Rome : Pon-
tificium Institutum Orientalium Studiorum, 1962.

Scheffer, Nathalie. Russian Ecclesiastical Art. Washington, D.C. : (no Pu-
blisher - de Savitsch Collection), 1951.

Schemann, Alexander. For the Life of the World, Sacraments and Orthodoxy.
New York : St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1973.

Schmemann, Alexander. Introduction to Liturgical Theology. London : The
Faith Press, Ltd., 1966.

Schmemann, Alexander. Sacraments and Orthodoxy. New York : Herder and
Herder, 1965.

Schultz, H. J. Die Byzantinische Liturgie. Frieburg, 1964.

Sciambri, Matteo. Indagini Storiche sulla Communitd Greco- Alb anese di Pa-
lermo. Grottaferrata (Rome) : Tipografia Italo-Orientale « S. Nilo », 1963.

Seaman, Gerald R. History of Russian Music, Vol. I, From its Origins to Dar-
gomyzhsky. Oxford : Basil Blackwell, 1967.

Senyshyn, Ambrose. Christ with us : The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom,
Church Slavonic, Ukrainian and English. Stamford, Connecticut, 1954.

Seraphim, Metropolitan. L'Eglise Orthodoxe : les Dogmes, La Liturgie, La Vie
Spirituale. Paris, 1952.

Shahovskoy, Archbishop. John. The Orthodox Pastoral : Outline of Pastor Theo-
logy. New York : St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1966.

Shereghy, Basil. Greek Catholic Dictionary. Pittsburgh : Pittsburgh Byzantine
Diocesan Press, 1951.

Sherrad, P. The Greek East and the Latin West. Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1959.

Sheppard, Lancelot C. The Liturgical Books. New York : Hawthorn Books,
1962.

Sloyan, Gerard S. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican
Council and the Motu Proprio of Pope Paul VI with a Commentary by Ge-
rard S. Sloyan. Glen Rock, New Jersey : Paulist Press, 1964.

Liturgikon sijest Sluiebnik. Citta del Vaticano : Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1952.

Slulebnik. Kiev : Kievo-Pecerskoj Uspenskoj Lavra, 1877.

Slulebnik. Moscow : Sinodalgnaja Tipografija, 1901.

Sluiebnik. Rome : Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1956.

Sokolof, D. A Manual of the Orthodox Church's Divine Services. New York and
Albany : Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., 1899.

Solovey, Meletius Michael. The Byzantine Divine Liturgy : History and Com-
mentary, trans. Demetrius Emil Wysochansky) . Washington, D.C. The
Catholic University of America Press, 1970.

257

Solovej, Meletius Michael. Eastern Liturgical Theology. Toronto : Basilian
Press, 1970.

Solovij, M. M. and Skwarok J. Liturgies (Ukrainian and English), 2 vols.

Toronto : Basilian Father's Press, 1959.
Sophocles, S. M. The Liturgy of the Orthodox Church. Athens : "Ekdoseis He

Damaskos", 1954.

Spellman, Francis Cardinal. Vade-mecum for the Priests Serving the Military
Vicariate of the United States of America. New York : The Military Or-
dinariate (30 East 51st Street, New York, N.Y. 1002), 1967.

Spinka, M. Christianity in the Balkans. Chicago : American Society of Church
History, 1933.

Srawley, J. H. The Early History of the Liturgy . Cambridge: University Press, 1947.
Stanghetti, Giuseppe. Prassi delta S.C. di Propaganda Fide. Roma : Omcium

Libri Catholici, 1943.
Stapper, Richard and Baier, David. Catholic Liturgies. Paterson, New Jersey:

St. Anthony Guild Press, 1938.
Statutes of the Archeoparchy of Philadelphia, 1959. Philadelphia : Ukrainian Ca-

Tholic Metropolitan Chancery, 1959.
Stiernon, Daniele. Introduzione alia Teologia Orientate. Rome : Libreria

Editrice Pontificio Universita Lateranense, 1967.
Svir, Olga. Let us Understand Russia. New York : All-Slavic Publishing House,

1965-

Swainson, C. A. The Greek Liturgies Chiefly from the Original Authorities with
Appendix. Cambridge : The University Press, 1884.

Sy nodus Provincialis Ruthenorum habita in civitate Zamosciae, 3rd ed. Rome :
Ed. Typographica S. Congr. Prop. Fide, 1883.

Syropolus, Sylvester. Memoirs (ed. R. Creyghton under the title : Vera Histo-
ria Unionis Non Vera). (Hagae), Comitis, 1660.

Szal, Ignatius J. The Communication of Catholics with Schismatics. Wash-
ington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press (Canon Law Stu-
dies no. 264), 1948.

Taft, Robert, s.j. Eastern Rite Catholicism, Its Heritage and Vocation. Glen

Rock, New Jersey : Paylist Press (Doctrinal Pamphlet Series), 1963.
Temperley, H. W. V. History of Serbia. London : Bell, 1919-
II Tempio, Atti della XVIII Settimana Liturgica Nazionale a Monreale, 28
agosto - 1 settembre 1967. Padova, Italia : Grariche Messaggero di Sant'An-
tonio, 1967.

Testini, Pasquale. Archeologia Cristiana. Rome : Desclee & C, 1958.
Testini, Pasquale. Le Catacombe e gli Antichi Cimiteri Cristiani in Roma. Rome:
Cappelli Editore, 1966.

18 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

258

Trembelas, Panagiotis N. Dogmatique de I'Eglise Orthodoxe Catholique, 3 vols.

(trans. Pierre Dumont). Chevetogne : Desclee De Brouwer et fiditions de

Chvtogne, 1966.
The Rudder (Pedalion) vid. Cummings.

The Statute of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America (Official
Texts, English and Russian), 1964 (no publishing data ; probably published
in New York and available from diocesan offices at 59 East Second Street,
New York, N.Y. 10003).

Ting Pong Lee, Ignatius. Facultates Apostolicae S. C. De Prop. Fide et S. C.
Prop. Fide et S. C. Consistorialis. Roma : Commentarium Pro Religiosis,
1962.

Tipikon Hi Ustav. Moscow : Sinodalnaja Tipografija, 1901 (Photomechanischer
Nachdruck der Akademischen Druk - u. Verlagsanstalt, Graz, Austria,
1964).

TiSkevic, C. Katoliceskij Katikhizis' (Catechisme Catholique). Harbin (Manchu-
ria) : Tipografia "Khua-Fin", 1935.
Trebnik. Moscow : Patriarchal Press, 1956.

Trebnik (Recensio Vulgata pro Russis, Bulgaris, Serbis ; 5 vols.) Citta del Vati-
cano : Libreria Editrice Vaticana (Press of Italo-Greek Monastery of
Grottaferrata) 1945-1953.

Trebnik. Kiev : Pedhersk Lavra, 1864.

Trebnik. Peremisl : Tipografia Monakha Germana Bidolakha, 1926.
Dogolnitelnij Trebnik. Kiev : Pecersk Lavra, 1871.

Dogolnitelnij Trebnik. Kiev : Tipografia Kievo-Pecerskija Ouspenskija Lavri,
1921.

Mali] Trebnik. Citta del Vaticano : Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1952. [Ruthenian

(Ukrainian) edition].
Trenkle, Elisabeth. Liturgische Gerdte und Gewdnder Der Ostkirche.
Tschekotow, N. M. Altruissische Sticker ei. Munich : Slavisches Institute Miin-

chen, 1955.

Vagaggini, C. II Senso Teologico della Liturgia. Rome, 1957.

Van Dijk, S.J. P. and Walker, J. Hazelden. The Origins of the Modern Roman

Liturgy. Westminster, Maryland : The Newman Press, i960.
Variationes in Ordinem Missae Inducendae ad Normam Instructionis S.R.C. diei

4 Maji 1967. Citta del Vaticano : Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1967.
Velimirovic, Nikolat. The Faith of the Saints. Pittsburgh : Serb National

Federation, 1949.

Vismans, Th. A. and Brinkhoff, Lucas. Critical Bibliography of Liturgical Li-
terature (English edition). Nijmegen : Bestelcentrale der V.S.K.B. Publ.,
1961.

259

Volbach, W. Fritz. Early Decorative Textiles (trans. Yuri Gabriel). Milan :
Fratelli Fabbri Editori, 1969.

Von Maltzew, Archpriest Alexios. Vide "Maltzew, Archpriest Alexios Von".

Voyce, Arthur. The Art and Architecture of Medieval Russia. Norman, Okla-
homa : University of Oklahoma Press, 1967.

Ward, Marcus. The Byzantine Church. Mysore City (India) : The Wesley Press,
1953-

Ware, Timothy. The Orthodox Church. Baltimore, Maryland: Penguin Books, 1963.
Warren, F. E. The Liturgy and Ritual of the Ante-Nicene Church. London :
S.P.C.K., 1912.

Watson, Seton. A History of the Rumanians. Cambridge : University Press, 1943.
Webb, Geoffrey. The Liturgical Altar. Westminster, Maryland : The Newman
Press, 1949.

Webber, F. R. The Small Church, How to build and Furnish it with Some Ac-
count of the Improvement of Existing Buildings. Cleveland, Ohio : J. H.
Jansen, 1939.

Welsh, Thomas J. The Use of the Portable Altar. Washington, D.C. : The Ca-
tholic University of America Press (Canon Law Studies no. 305), 1950.

Wellesz, Egon. A History of Byzantine Music and Hymnography (II ed.),
Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1961.

Wessel, Klaus. Byzantine Enamels (trans. Irene R. Gibbons). Greenwich, Conn.:
New York Graphic Society Ltd., 1967.

Wojnar, Meletius M., o.s.b.m. The Code of Oriental Canon Law de Ritibus
Orientalibus and de Personis. Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University
of America Press, 1959.

Wuest, Joseph. Matters Liturgical (9th ed. translated by Thomas W. Mullaney,
re-arranged and enlarge by William T. Barry). New York : Fredrick
Pustet Co., 1956.

Zakon Boiij, vol. II. Paris: Y.M.C.A. Press, 1956.

Zampetti, John. Facultales Apostolicae. Shillong (India), 1961.

Zernov, Nicholas. Eastern Christendom. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1961.

Ziolkowski, Thaddeus S. The Consecration and Blessing of Churches. Wash-
ington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press (Canon Law Stu-
dies no. 187), 1943.

Zuzek, Ivan, Kormdaja Kniga. Rome : Pont. Institutum Orientalium Studio-
rum, 1964.

Zvegintzov, C. Our Mother Church, her Worship and Offices. London : S.P.C.K.,
1948.

ARTICLES

Aharoxi, Yohanan, "The Horned Altar of Beer-Sheba", The Biblical Archeol-

ogist, 37 (ie74) 2-6.
"Altar", Encyclopedia Brittanica, vol. I, pp. 705-708.
"Altar", Enciclopedia Universal Illustrada, vol. IV, pp. 956-961.
"Altar", Lexicon fur Theologie Und Kirche, vol. I, col. 369-375.
Amanieu, A., "Antimense", Dictionnaire de Droit Canonique, vol. I, col.

586-590.

Aslanoff, Catherine, "The Veneration of Icons", Diakonia, VI (1971), No. 4,
333-339-

Barton, G. A., "Altar", The Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. I, pp. 464-469.
Baumann, C, "Church Architecture and the New Liturgy", Catholic Market,
4 (1965), 16-19.

Bayart, P., "Autel", Dictionnaire de Droit Canonique, tome premier, col. 1456-
1468.

Bernakadis, P., "Les ornements liturgiques chez les Grecs", Les Echos d'Orient,
V (1902), 137-138.

Betta, A., "De concessione antimensii missionariis latinis", Ephemerides Li-

turgicae, 62 (1948), part II, 384.
Borella, P., "L'Effusione del Crisma", Ephemerides Liturgicae 73 (1959), 216-218.
Bottoms, A. M., "A Commentary on the Forty Faculties of Pastorale Munus",

The Jurist, 24 (1964), 423-440.
Botz, Paschal, "Meaning of the Altar", Sponsa Regis, 26 (1956), 141-152.
Carr, A., "Orthodoxy's Canonical Differences", Homiletic and Pastoral Review,

65 (1965), 695-597-

Chouinard, Pierre, "Les expressions figlise locale et figlise particuliere",
Studia Canonica, Revue Canadienne de Droit Canonique, Vol. 6 (1972),
115-161.

"Circular Letter of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches to Ru-
thenian Ordinaries" 10 September 1941, Protocol number 1219/28, text in
Orientalia Christiana, VIII (1942) 136-139.

Clugnet, Leon, "Les Offices et les dignites ecclesiastiques dans l'figlise grecque",

26l

Revue de VOrient Chrdtien, III (1898), pp. 142-150, 260-264 ; IV (1899),
pp. 116-128.

"Consecration of the Chrism", The Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate (English

edition), No. 6, 1974. "-I3 (photographs facing p. 9 ; other photographs

in No. 7, 1974. facing pp. 9. 73).
Coquin, R., "La Consecration des Eglises dans le Rite Copte ; Ses Relations

avec les Rites Syrien et Byzantin", VOrient Syrien, IX (1964), pp.

149-187.

De Angelis, Clemente, "Bibliografia dei Copti Ortodossi", Studia Orientalia
Christiana, Collectanea : n° 30, Cairo : Edizioni del Centro Francescano di
Studi Orientali Cristiani, 1958, pp. 299-404.

Debuyst, F., "Problems of Modern Church Architecture", Liturgical Arts, 34
(1966), 92-93-

"The Decoration of a Church : Lessons from the Orthodox", U.S. Catholic,
(1966) : 29.

De Meester, Placidus, o.s.b., "La benediction et la Consecration par contact

dans le droit et les rites orientaux", Angelicum 20 (1943) 254-250.
Dieckman, Godfrey, "Altar and Tabernacle", Worship, 40 (1966), 490-509.
Diekmann, Godfrey, "The Place of Liturgical Worship", Concilum, Liturgy,

Vol. 2 (1964), 67-106.
Dimock, G., "Old Churches and New Liturgiy", Dominicana, 51 (1966), 133-143.
Dusanic, Svet. St., "Antimins kao Xaucni Objekat", Crkva Kalendar Srpske

Pravoslavnje Patrijarsije za Prostu 1947 Godinu, Belgrade : Stamparija

"Radjenkovic", 1947, pp. 60-63.
Edelby, N., "Scope of Patriarchal Authority outside the East", Jurist, 29

(1969), 174-182.

Engerberding, H., "Zum Myronweihegebet des Vat. gr. 1970", Orientalia

Christiana Periodica, 26 (i960), 251-274.
Feeney, D., "Guidelines for the construction and remodeling of Sanctuaries",

Liturgical Arts, 34 (1966), 56-57.
Ferrari, Protopas Giuseppe, " EL\HTON e ANTBflNEION presso i Bizantini",

Bollettino della Badia di Grottaf errata, nuova serie, X (1956), 105-111.
Fleetwood-Walker, C, "The Invisible Church", Clergy Review, 51 (1966),

447-458 ; reply 51 (1966), 813-815.
"Freedom in Diversity ; problems involved in the renovation of Sanctuaries ;

Correspondence", Liturgical Arts, 35 (1967). 156-159-
Frezet, A., "L'Altare", Enciclopedia Liturgica (Vol. unicum), pp. 158-173.
Frutaz, A. P., "II Culto delle Reliquie e loro uso nella consecrazione degli al-

tari", Notitiae (Rome : Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis), 9-10 (Sept.-Oct.,

J965), pp. 309-317-

262

Fyrillas, Andre K., "Le rite byzantin de la consecration et dedicace d'une

eglise", La Maison Dieu, No. 70 (1961), 131-140.
Gutierrez, A., "Episcoporum facultates secundum M. Prop. Pastorale Munus

et religiosii", Commentarium pro Religiosis et Missionariis, 43 (1964) 160-165.
Gutierrez, A., "De linteo benedicti loco altaris portatilis pro Missionariis",

Commentarium pro Religiosis et Missionariis, 34 (1955) 288-290.
Hanssens, J. M. and Raes, A., "Une collection des tabots au Musee Chretien

de la Bibliotheque Vaticane", Orientalia Christiana Periodica, XVII (1952),

435-450-

Hoffman, Henry, "De Benedicti XIV Latinisationibus in Constitutione 'Etsi
Pastoralis' et 'Inter Multa' ", Ephemerides Iuris Canonici, IV (1948), 21.

Holtzman, Jerome J., "Eucharistic Ecclesiology of the Orthodox Theologians",
Diakonia, 8 (1973), 5-21.

Izzo, Januarius, "Byzantine Catholicism", The Christian and Society : A Pa-
storal Vision - Proceedings of the Franciscan Educational Conference, Vol. 50
(1969), 93-II6.

Jungman, J., "The New Altar", Liturgical Arts, 37 (1969), 36-40.

Karalin', A. A., "Glava iz' Istorij Officialnoj Pravoslavnoj Cerkovnoj Gravjuri",
Trudi Vsjerossijckago Sjezda Xydoznikov' (Petrograd), Vol. II (Dec. 191 1 -
Jan. 1912), 196-198 (plus 5 pages of plates of Antimensia).

Kennedy, A. R. S., "Altar", Dictionary of the Bible, vol. I, pp. 75-77.

Korolevskij, Cyril, "Antimensio", Enciclopedia Italiana (Treccani), vol. Ill,
P- 498.

Korolevskij, Cyril, "Greci e disciplina bizantine in generale, studio sui ca-
noni 801-1011", S' Congregazione Orientate, Codificazione Canonica Orien-
tate, Prot. N. 199/32, pp. 13-14.

Korilevskij, Cyril, "Le Pontifical dans le rite byzantin", Orientali Christiana
Periodica, X (1945), 202-215.

Korolevsky, Cyril, "Liturgical Publications of the Congregation for the Eastern
Church", Eastern Churches Quarterly, VI (1946).

Krajcar, John, "Early Printed Slavonic Books in the Library of the Pontifical
Oriental Institute", Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 34 (1968), 105-128.

Krajcar, John, "A Report of the Ruthenians and their Errors prepared for the
Fifth Lateran Council", Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 29 (1963), 79-94-

Lanne, E., "The Liturgical and Spiritual Tradition among the Orthodox",
Diakonia, 3 (1968), 342-350.

Laurent, V., "Le Rituel de la proscomide de la metropolite de Crete Elie",
Revue des Etudes Byzantines, XVI (1958) 1 16-142.

Leclercq, H., "Autel", Dictionnaire d' Archdologie Chritienne et de Liturgie,
tome premiere, deuxieme partie, col. 3 155-3 189.

263

Leclercq, H., "Corporal", DACL, tome troisieme, deuxieme partie, col. 2986-
2987.

Leclercq, H., "Mobilier Liturgique", DACL, tome onzieme, deuxieme partie,
col. 1579-1592.

"A Liturgical Bibliography prepared for the San Diego Liturgical Conference",

Catholic Library World, 39 (1968), 363.
Lubeck, K., "Das Antimension der Griechen", Der Katholik, IV (1916) 396-415.
Lubeck, K., "Das Kultusgebaude der Griechen", Pastor Bonus (Trier), XXV

(1912), p. 68 ft.

Madey, J., "Intercommunion between Catholics and Orthodox", Diakonia, 7
(1972), 73-76.

La Maison-Dieu, 70 {La Dedicace des eglises), 1962 (Entire issue).

Maloney, George A., "Byzantine Rite", New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. II

pp. IOOO-IOII.

Marsh-Edwards, J., "The Medieval Easter Sepulchres of England", Irish Ec-

clesastical Review, 109 (1968), 1 16-12 1.
Martimort, Aime-Georges, "Le nouveau rite de la dedication des Eglises",

La Maison Dieu, No. 70 (1962), 6-31.
Mateos, Juan, "Deux Problemes de traduction dan la Liturgie Byzantine de

S. Jean Chrysostome", Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 30 (1964), 248-

255.

Mateos, Juan, "Evolution historique de la liturgie de saint Jean Chrysostome",
Proche-Orient Chretien, XV (1965), 333-351 ; XVI (1966), 3-18.

McGuire, M. R. P., & Murphy, F. X., "Byzantine Empire", New Catholic
Encyclopedia, vol. II.

Montague, G., "Use of the Antimension", Irish Ecclesiastical Review, V series,
73 (1950). P- 456.

Moroni, Gaetano, "Corporale", Dizionario di Erudizione Ecclesiastica (Venice :

Tipografia Emiliana, 1842), vol. XVII, p. 248.
Morrisey, Francis G., "Recent Ecclesiastical Legislation and the Code of

Canon Law », Studia Canonica, Revue Canadienne de Droit Canonique,

Vol. 6 (1972), 3-77-

Nabaa', Philip, "The Antimension in the Byzantine Church" (in Arabic), Al-

Massarat, 1934, 287-294.
Napier, C, "The Altar in the Contemporary Church", Clergy Review, 57 (1972),

624-632.

Newns, B., "Notes on recent Work : The Liturgy", Clergy Review, 53 (1968),
216-219.

O'Connell, Patrick, "The Letters and Catecheses of St. Theodore Studites",
Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 38 (1972), 256-259.

264

Oppenheim, Filippo, "Antiminsion", Dizionario Ecclesiastico (Turin : Unione

tipografico - Editrice Torinese, 1953), vol. I, p. 167.
Pallas, D., " 'H « 0aXaacra » Tcov ekkXirjauov", Orientalia Christiana Periodica,

XX (1955). 195-
Palmer, P., "Tear down the Altar ?", Priest, 27 (1971), 74-77.
Papadakis, Aristeides, "The Anti-Image Movement of the Eighth Century",

John XXIII Lectures (Fordham University, New York), Vol. 2 (1966),

34-47-

Pass, Leonard H., "Altar (Christian)", Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics,

vol. I, pp. 338-342.
Paventi, Xaverius, "Quaestiones de lure Missionali", Ephemerides Iuris Ca-

nonici, 3 (1947). PP- 24x-254-
Payngot, Charles, "Liturgical Developements in Kerala", Diakonia, 8 (1973),

358-377-

P.E. (Sic), "Russkije Antiminsi", Zurnal Moskovskoj Patriarkhii, 1964, no. 1,

pp. 70-73 ; no. 2, pp. 75-78 ; no. 3, pp. 57-70.
Petit, L., "Composition et consecration du Saint Chreme", Echos d'Orient, 3

(1900), 129-142.

Petit, L., "Du Pouvoir de Consacrer le Saint Chreme", Echos d'Orient, 3 (1899-
1900), 1-7.

Petrides, Sophrone, "Consecration du Saint Chreme a Damas en 1660", Echos

d'Orient, 5 (1901-1902), 76-81.
Petrides, Sophrone, "La preparation des oblats dans le rite grec", Les Echos

d'Orient, (1899-1900), pp. 65-78.
Petrides, Sophrone, "Antimension", Dictionnaire d' Arcgeologie Chretienne et

de Liturgie, Tome Premier, 2eme partie, col. 2319-2326.
Petrides, Sophrone, "Antimension", Dictionnaire de Theologie Catholique,

vol. Ier, col. 1389-1391.
Petrides, Sophrone, "L' Antimension", Les Echos D'Orient, III (1900), 193-202.
Petrovskij, A., "Antimins", Pravoslavskaja Entsiklopedia (ed. A. Lopukhina,

Petrogard : Stannik, 1900), vol. I, col. 797-809.
Photographs of the preparation and consecration of the Holy Chrism (Myron)

by Hiss Holiness Pimen, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, during Holy

Week, April 1974. The Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate (English edi-
tion), No. 7, 1974, pages facing pp. 9, 73.
Pitirim of Volokolamsk, Archbishop, "Patriarch Pimen's Trip to Ethiopia",

The Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate (English Edition), No. 5, I974» 48-60.
Pujol, C, "La Consuetudine degli Orientalia separati", Orientalia Christiana

Periodica, 37 (1971). 135-159-
Pujol, V., "Orientales ab Ecclesia Catholica seiuncti tenenturne novo iure ca-

265

nonico a Pio XII promulgate) ?", Orientalia Christiana Periodico, 32 (1966),
78-110.

Queenan, A., "The Pentarch : its Origin and initial Developement", Diakonia,
2( (1967), 338-35I-

Raes, Alphonse, "Antimension, Tablit, Tabot", Proche-Orient Chritien, I
(1951). 59-7Q-

Raes, Alphonse, "L'Authentizit6 de la liturgie byzantine de Saint Jean Chrysos-
tome", Orientalia Christiana Periodica, XXIV (1959), 5-16.

Raes, Alphonse, "Le Liturgicon ruthene depuis l'union de Best", Orientalia
Christiana Periodica, VIII (1943), 95-143.

Raes, Alphonse, "La liturgie eucharistique en Orient : son cadre architectu-
ral", La Maison Dieu, No. 70 (1962), 49-66.

Raes, Alphonse, "La premiere edition romaine de la Liturgie de Saint Jean
Chrysostome en staroslave", Orientalia Christiana Periodica, VII (1942)
518-526.

Raes Alphonse, "Le Rituel ruthene depuis l'union de Brest, Orientalia Chris-
tiana Periodica, I (1935), 361-392.

Renard, "Autel", Dictionnaire de la Bible, vol. I, col. 1266-1278.

Rezac, J., "A proposito della scuola Storico-Giuridico russa", Orientalia Chris-
tiana Periodica, 35 (1969), 490-496.

Riga, Peter, "Origins and Meaning of the Christian Altar", The American
Ecclesiastical Review, 149 (1963), 100-122.

Roguet, A. M., "L' Autel", La Mason Dieu, 63 (i960), pp. 96-113.

Salaville, Severien, "Un rite peu connu : la consecration du Saint Chreme au
Patriarchat grec de Constantinople*, L' Union des Eglises, 5 (1926), 56-62.

Schmemann, Alexander, "Antimins" (in Russian), Canadian Orthodox Calendar
for the Year 1972 (vol. 21), Montreal-Toronto : Diocesan Council of the
Orthodox Church in Canada, 51-55.

Schmitz, W., "Church Construction and the Law on Sacred Liturgy", Priest,
21 (1965), 330-334-

Schulte, A. J., et alibi, "Altar", Catholic Encyclopedia (New York : Robert

Appleton Co., 1907), vol. I, pp. 346-367.
Sherwood, Polycarp, "The Sense of Rite", Eastern Churches Quarterly, XII

(1957-58), ........

Shipman, Andrew, "Altar (in the Greek Church)", The Catholic Encyclopedia,
vol. I, pp. 359-360.

Shipman, Andrew, "Antimensium", The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. I, pp. 563-564.
Skrincosky, Peter, "The Formation of the Bizantine Ukrainian (Ruthenian)

Typical Liturgy", John XXIII Lectures (John XXIII Center, Fordham

University, New York), Vol. I (1965), 165-178.

266

Skrincosky, Peter, "A Survey of the Development of the Byzantine-Slav
Liturgy in the X-XVI Centuries", John XXIII Lectures (John XXIII
Center, Fordham University, New York), Vol. I (1965), 179-193.

Solovev, N. A., "Opisnaije Vologodskik' rukopisnikh antiminsov, djejstvo-
vavsikh v period vremeni ot 7050 (1541) goda po 7192 (1684), ninje khra-
njascikhcja v Moskovskoj Patriarsej riznicje", Trudi Kommicii po Ocmo-
tru I Izuceniju Pamjatnikov' Cerkovnoj Starini, 3. Moskvi i Moskovskoj
Eparkii, Vol. 4 (1911) (Moscow : A. I. Snegirevoj), 1-41 (plus 4 pages of
plates of antimensia).

Southland, R., "Altars and Tabernacles", Homiletic and Pastoral Review, 71
(1971), 351-357

Souvray, Charles L., "Altar (in Scripture)", "The Catholic Encyclopedia,
vol. I, pp. 360-362.

Strittmater, P. A., "The Barberinum S. Marci of Jaques Goar", Ephemerides
Liturgicae, XLVII (1933), 329-361.

Taft, Robert, "The Byzantine Divine Liturgy : History and Commentary"
(scholarly review of book by M. M. Solovey), Diakonia, 8 (1973), 164-178.

Taft, Robert, "A Note on Some Manuscripts of the Liturgy of Saint John
Chrysostom", Orientalia Christian Periodica, 35 (1969), 257-260.

Taft, Robert, "Some Notes on the Bema in the East and West Syrian Tradi-
tions", Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 34 (1968), 326-359.

Taft, Robert, "Towards the Origins of the Offertory Procession in the Syro-
Byzantine East", Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 36 (1970), 73-107.

Theodorou, Evangelistos, "Antimension", Threskeutike kai Ethnike Enkyklo-
paideia, tomos 2, pp. 870-871.

Thurston, Herbert, "Corporal", Catholic Encyclopedia (iqo8), IV, pp. 386-387.

Ting Pong Lee, Ignatius, "In Lit. Apost. Pauli VI Pastorale Munus Motu
Proprio datas, excursus doctrinalis" Commentarium pro Religiosis et Mis-
sionariis, 43 (1964), 55~58-

Ting Pong Lee, Ignatius, "Commentarium in Rescriptum Pontificium 'Cum
Admotae' - De Missa in domo extra locra sacra", Commentarium pro Re-
ligiosis et Missionariis, 44 (1965), 27-74.

Tremplas, P. M., "Antimension", Megale Ellenike Enkyklopaideia, tomos 4,
col. 880-881.

Vogel, Cyrille, "Versus ad Orientem. L'orientation dans les Ordines Romani
du haut moyen age", La Maison Dieu, No. 70 (1962), 67-99.

Wagner, Jean, "Le lieu de la celebration eucharistique dans quelques 6glises
anciennes d'Occident", La Maison Dieu, No. 70 (1962), 32-48.

Zuzek, Ivan, "The Determining Structure of the Slavic Syntagma of Fifty
Titles", Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 33 (1967), 139-160.

UNPUBLISHED WORKS

Attwater, Donald, A List of Books in English about the Eastern Churches.

Newport, Rhode Island : St. Leo Shop, i960.
Darsy, F.M.-D., Paleo-Christian Archeology (mimeographed Rome, 1961 -

Cours de Centre d'Etudes Saint Louis de France ; 47 pp.).
Goubert, P., Lectiones De Archeologia Christiana Orientali (mimeographed .

Rome : Pontificium Institutum Orientalium Studiorum, 1962, 307 pp.
Koren, Antony, s.j., Kak Svjatit khram i jego Prinadleznosti (mimeographed).

Rome : Opere Religiose Russe, Via Carlo Cattaneo 2, 1962, 33 pp.
Schemann, Alexander. Russian Theology ig20-ig6^, a Bibliographical Survey.

Mimeographed Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, 1959 (available

St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Crestwood, New York).
Le Typique Liturgique de Saint Sabas, Edition Slave du Saint Synode, Moscou

igo6 (mimeographed) at Russicum, Rome, 1961, 111 pp.
Rezac, Ioannes, Institutiones Juris Canonici Orientalis, (reproduced by offset

method, "ad usum privatum auditorum") Rome : Pontificium Institutum

Orientalium Studiorum, 1961, part. I.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SLAVIC WORKS IN CYRILLIC CHARACTERS

AnMacoB, A. Heii3naHHbie KaHOHimecKiie otbctii KoHdaHTHHononbCKaro
riaipnapxa JlyKH K. n MiiTponoairra Po^oiunaro Hiina. Ojecca,
1903,

BaHHHCLKHH, AjieKCaH^p. Cjiy>Ke6HHK CBflTHTeJIbCbKHH. JIbBOB, 1886.

EyjiraKOB, M. IlaTpnapx Hhkoh b aene ncnpaBneHiiH LJepKOBHbix khht
h 06panoB. MocKBa, 1881.

EyjiraKOB, C. B. HacronbHaH KHHra hjih CBHineHHo-LlepKOBHo-Cny>KH-
Tenefi. XapKOB, Timorpa({)HH TySepHCKaro ripaBjieHHH, 1900.

BeHHaMHH, MiiTponojiHT. HoBan CKpH/Kanb hjih o6T>HCHeHiie o UepKBii,
o JlHryprHH h o Bcex cjiy>K6ax h yTBapnx E[epKOBHbix. C. IIeTep6ypr,
H. JI. TyaoBa, 1908.

KopeH, Hep. Ahtohiih. KaK CBHTirrb XpaM n ero npiiHaanoKHoeTH.
Phm, 1962. Il3^aHHe PyccKOH KaTOJiH^ecKon UepKBii b Phmc

JlaB^nceB, EBreHHil. KpaTKHH 06-bHCHiiTeabHbifi CnoBapb. C. neiepoypr,
H. E. Ty30Ba, 1891.

MiiKHTa, AjiencaHAp. UepKOBHHii Thiihkoh. YiirBap, 1901.

MapycHH, O. 3p. MnpocnaB. Hhhh CBHTirrejibCBKHX Cny>K6 b KiiBicbKOMy
EBXonornoHH 3 rionaTKy 16 ct. Phm, 1966. BnaaHHH YKpaiHCbKoro
KaTonnubKoro YHHBepcHTeiy hm. Cb. KjiiiMeHTiin Flann.

HlIKOJIbCKHH, KOH. 06t> AHTHMHHCaX ripaBocjiaBHon Pvcckoh UepKBii.
CaHKTneTep6ypr-b, bt> Tunorpatjmn HnoBa Tpen, 1872.

HHKOJibCKHfi, Koh. noco6ne kt> H3yHeHHio YcTaBa BorocjiyweHHH IlpaBO-
cjiaBHOH LtepKBii. C. neTep6ypn>, 1900. (OoTOTiimmeeKoe ii3^aHiie,
1960).

Cny>Ke6HHKT> . MocKOBCKan IlaTpnapxiiH, MocKBa, 1956.

27°

Thiihkoht> hjih YcTaBi,. CHHoaajibHan Tnnorpa(j)Hfl, MocKBa, 1901.
(OoTOTHnnqecKoe mjnaime 1964).

Tpe6HHKi>. MocKOBCKan TlaTpHapxHH, MocKBa, 1956.

Tpe6HHKt. IlepeMHiujib, Tiinorpa(|)HH MoHaxa TepMaHa EHuonaxa, 1926.

Tpe6HHK MajibiH. Phm. B OoTOJiHTorpa(J)HH T. A. LJ., 1952.

Tpe6HHKi>, qacTb TpeTbH. Phm. B Tnnorpa({)Hii KpHirro(|)eppaTCKOH, 1951.

Tpe6HHKT> aonojiHHTejiLHWH. KneB-b, neqepcKan JIaBpa, 1871.

Tpe6HHKi> aonojiHHTejibHbiw. KHeBi>, THnorpat})HH KneBO-rieqepcKHH
YcneHCKHH JIaBpbi, 1921.

Hhht> ApxHepeftcKaro JJchctbhh BomecTBeHHOH JlHTyprHH h ocBHmeHHB
AHTHMHHCa H IJepKBH. MocKBa, 1668,

MHHOBHHK'b ApxHepeiiCKaro CBHmeHH0CJiy>KeHHH. J]>KopnaHBHJib. Thiio-
rpa(j)HH PL IloHaeBCKaro b MoHacTbipe Cb. Tponm>i, 1965.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Father Januarius M. Izzo, o.f.m., was born on April 23, 1934, in Brooklyn,
New York, and christened Francis Edmond William at the Parish of Our Lady
of Refuge.

After completing his elementary education in the Public School System of
Brooklyn, he moved with his parents to Catskill, New York, where he attended
Catskill Public High School, graduating in 1951. He studied Physics at Brooklyn
Polytechnic Institute for one year, entering St. Francis Seraphic Seminary,
Andover, Mass., in the fall of 1952, where he studied Latin, Greek and Italian for
one year. On August 15, 1953, he received the Habit of St. Francis and the re-
ligious name Januarius Maria in the Novitiate of the Immaculate Conception
Province of the Friars Minor (New York) at Immaculate Conception Novitiate,
Troy, New York. He was simply professed on August 16, 1954, whereupon he
pursued his philosphical studies for four years (pronouncing his Solemn Vows
on August 16, 1957) a* St. Francis Seminary, Andover, Mass., and Mt. Alvernia
Seminary, Wappingers Falls, New York. At Mt. Alvenia Seminary Father Ja-
nuarius also did his four years of theological studies, being ordained to the Sa-
cred Priestood on June 16, 1962. He then taught Mathematics and Religion for
two years at Christopher Columbus High School (an extern school of the Imma-
culate Conception Province) in Boston, Mass., during which time he attended
classes in Education and Psychology at Boston College (Jesuit Fathers). Id
the fall of 1964 he enrolled in the School of Canon Law at the Catholic University
of America, Washington, D.C., where he received the degree of Baccalaureate
in Canon Law in May, 19,65. In the autumn of 1965, Father Januarius was sent
by his Superiors to Rome, where he enrolled in the School of Canon Law at the
Pontificum Athenenaeum Antonianum (Franciscan Fathers) ; there in June,
1966, he was awarded the degree of Licentiate in Canon Law. In the meantime,
he also pursued courses at the Pontifical University of the Lateran (Moral Theology
section- Alphonsianum), the Pontifical Institute of Oriental Studies, the Pon-
tifical Archeological Institute (where he received a diploma in the Introductiory
Course), the Russicum, and those offered by the Sacred Congregation for Re-
ligious, and the Sacred Roman Rota. He successfully defended his Doctoral

272

thesis in the Aula Magna of the Pontificium Athenaeum Antonianum on June 24,
1968. On July 4, 1968, His Excellency, the Most Rev. Andrew Katkoff, m.i.c,
Russian Byzantine Catholic Ordaining Bishop and Apostolic Visitor for All
Russian Rite Catholics Outside of Russia, at a concelebrated Divine Liturgy in
the Chapel of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in the Basilica of St. Clement in Rome,
raised Father Januarius to the rank of a Right Revered Mitred Archimandrite of
the Russian Byzantine Rite. On May 31, 1970, Father Januarius was awarded
the Degree of Master of Arts in Religious Education from Emmanuel College,
Boston, and for the past three years has taught courses in Byzantine Liturgical,
Sacramental, and Spiritual Theology at St. Basil's (Byzantine Melkite) Seminary,
Methuen, Mass. At the same time he taught the Natural Sciences and Religion
at St Francis Seminary, where he was also Guardian (Superior) from 1970 to
1973. Fr. Januarius then spent one year as Provincial Vocation Director.

APPENDIX I

TEXTS AND DOCUMENTS

19 - J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

A. TEXT OF CANONS OF PATRIARCH NICEPHOROS (Taken from Pitra,
Iuris Ecclesiastici Graecorum, Rome, Propaganda Fidei, 1868, Vol. II, pp. 329,337.

S. NICEl

»$.*Eav Ti$ roXfxiia-r) sxvtov evSuVai to ayioy c^vf-oi.
irgo^acrfi (TTfxTciaq y dXXvs tivo; ffavougyiac, SyQsv
yiXoia£a>y , touto sirtTlfAtov sfst Tso"O"agaxo0-Ta? y , xai
outw? 5£X^TW Il-
ls'. 'Ea'v <pSag»j /Aovao-Tgia uiro fiapfidpuv yj xai drecx-
ruv dvSguv, xai 17V. o jrgoTou {3/oj auTi?? dpsfAirTos 2),
■Cif TJo"cragaxovTa yfisgas sirtTtfAaTcti v.ui xoivuvs'itw
■I 5e ffa? o (3i'o? avTvs fASfxoXuo'fAsvoi; ^v, to ttj; pioi-
jfs«'af sitit![aiov sxirXvQua-r).

if'. 'I'a'y xara ayvoiav fl-Xuvflv? a'yTipiiWiov, ou /xo-
XuveTai" o yag ayiacyxd? «» auTy eVti* to yag i'epo» pua-
pdv ou yivETai 3).

if. 0/ a'ird TraXXaxiSo? xai wogvsiag xai a«ro 8i-
y a ft let; xai Tgiyapcia? tixto'/xsvoi «-arSe£, eay ^ay«ciy
agETaj e^ovtej , xai J<riv a£ioi lEgwffuvrjf, j^EigoTO-
vsiaQu<rav 4).

itj . 'Ea'v ti< o'Xiyov xaigdv Bid (3iav Tiva irotycv
xoituvoc Toy yuvaixiTTjv ttjj exxXTjcria? 5), oo xaTaxgive-
Tai* iav Bs X6OV,0'?'> al>T<>£ /x<v eViTifzao*8«, 17 Se ex-
xXrjcia aVoXijSJ/ETai to oixsta.

18'. Xpii 6) Ta a^aVTio-Ta yij'ma, sdv ewgeflrj tij ei{
Tojroy, fir] ffago'yToj i£pE«$ , (3a7rTio-8flvar sis ir&vav diro-
piav,6 1S10? irarvp, vj olocByiroTs avOgwjrof , pidvov iva
«Vti ^gio-Ttavd?, ei j3as-Ti'^£i , oux eVtiv aptagWa.

x'. Xprj ptvTjpioveuEiv To'y Sia'xovov tou n'youptevou au-
tou ei$ Ta Siaxovixa jravTOTE.

xai. 'O ^affTiaOfi?, xai ex veo'tijto; «y ^gio-Tiavd?,
«i xai t £ eflvwv J^aTTTio-Oii vewo-ti , 17 xai 7) tij ijXixia
jrgo(3£/3ijx<Jf £Wf stcJv X' 17, xai Trgoa^avi? l^«y dpsTaq,

^ElgOTOVCl'ffdu.

x|3'. "Oti oj j^pi} /zsTaSiSovai toi$ XafA.^avouo~t 8)
Toxoy , -n (TUVecOieiv auToTf sirtfAsvouo-t rrj Tragavo/xia.

xy'.'Ea'y pioya^o? jteVii 11$ syxXvfAa, xai oux 17 a£'°?
xoy«y/a«, ov %(>-o avro* £t/Xoy£rv Tga'?r£^av, ewj 0 J xoiyu-
»y»c»j.

rus cf 329

14. Qui ausus fuerit sacrum habilum induere sub
militiae praetextu aut cuiusvis alius fraudis, quasi
per iociim, poenitentiam babebit trium quadrage-
simarum , neque aliter in commuDionem recipiatur.

15. Si fuerit monialis a barbaris aut a procaci-
bus hominibus vitiata , erat autem vita ipsius ante
acta maculae expers , quadraginta diebus poeniteat,
deiu communicet; sin autem prior vita tola impura
fuit, adulterii poenam expleat.

16. Si ignoranter anliminsium lolum fuerit, non
polluitur: sanctificatio enim in ipso manel; quod
enim sacrum , impurum non fit.

17. Qui ex concubina scortove aut digamis vel
trigamis nati sunt, modo constet eos pollere vir-
tutibus, dignosque esse sacerdotio, ordinentur.

18. Si quis ad breve tempus ob vim aliquam
cubiculum fecerit in ecclesiae atrio, non condem-
natur. Si moram ibi fecerit, poenis quidem ipse
subiicitor, ecclesia vero eius supellectilem retineblt.

19. Necesse est infantes nondum baptizati , in-
venti in loco ubi sacerdos non comparet, baptizen-
tur; quovis imminente periculo , proprius pater aut
qualiscumque demum vir , modo christianus sit , si
baptizat, nullum est peccatum.

20. Semper meminisse oportet diaconum anti-
stitis sui ad singula officii sui munia.

21. Baptizatus aliquls et a teneris christianus,
vel ex gentilitate recens initi.-Uus , si adolescentia
expleta , venerit ad XXX annos , ac cernalur vir-
tutibus non indigere , manibus consecrator.

22. Nefas est iis quiusuram faciunt sacra tradir
aut cum illis edi , dum in pravitate sua perseverant.

23. Si monachus in reatum incident, nec com-
munione dignus sit, illi vetatur ne mensam bene-
dicat, donee communioni restituatur.

1) brxpiatrai 15. — 'O to /xoyax'xdv eySd? (Txvp* <fd^
O-TgaTf/aj ijaXXij r.v.uq SrjOfy tow'tow xaTay£X«y xai
toGto pi£Ta Trjy a'yayx»jy 19 T»)y wVoxgio-iv a7ro0£/x£yoj, ei(
Ttffcrag. y' T}/*£gwy eirirt[xdrcit, xai oot« t>5 ayia npavsiGi
xoiy«y/a 34.-^2) apt£/x«-TOf, gViTi/xioy ypspuv [i sx£t- ■ •
tl Be 6 ?rg«'yjy aCr-ris ^i«?. . . ex»rX»jgoP, 34. — 3) oux aVo-
TiOerai Toy a'yiacrptdy, oo'Se |3£^»jXoy yivsrai 34. — st
Tif irXrivy [al. ttXtqOV), irXvQrj, 7rX>j0tiy0r5] to «>t., ou fiXd-
wrsf 0 ydp dyiao-poq sv aCrr) [isvei irdvrors 35. In fine
49 addit * pto'yoyey ajroxgu^o; toV« £X^vy£<r6w to aVo-

vXu^x. cf. infra can. 95-98. Idem canon inseritur in
Theodori Studitae Epitimia, num. XIV, apud Ma-
lum , Bibl. nov. t. V , p. ult. p. 14. De antiminsiis
sive pannis, altarium vice sacratis , multa sunt in
syntagmate Matthaei Blastaris ad litt. A, c. 8, p. 20;
Hem ad litt. E, cap. 12, p. 118 edit. Bevereg. Ad cu-
mulum lege Habert. in 'Apx»eeaT- P- 657—664, ubi e
Meursii lexico hie idem Nicephori canon adducitur.
Quin splendidum huiusmodi linteolum vide descri-
ptum apud Maium Bibl. nov. X. V, praef. p. VIII.

— 4) TroXXax. ij Siya/xiuy ij Tgiya'/xw» t. ff., sdv af ioy i£p«-
Giivv){ smSeil-uvTai ^i'oy, ^EigOToyotJyTai. 34. - ff£gi^ay«-

Iurii EccUt. Grate. Tom. II.

<riy.. ^=igoTov=io-Sai oJ xwXooyTai ib. Haec vero disci-
plina confirmatur lomo unionis Nicolai CP. , et ex-
ponitur in Balsamonis respons. LXXII ad Marc. Al.
— 5) rvs sxxX. om. 41 , 48. - apud Mattheum can. Ill :

'O e£ aya'yx»j,- sir o'Xiyov yjovov sv tu ya'gOrjxi T17; exxXtj-
o*ia? xaraptoyrjy TroiTjca'/xEvo?, ow xaTaxg... awTof [miv
fA.STS7TtTtfA.iuv Ex^X^OiiffETai , o Ss vaof ajroXrj^/fTai Ta*

oixEia. Haec vero quadrant cum trull, can. LXXIV
et XCVII , Dionys. Alex. II , etc. — 6) Eav yEw^n

VTjjria e*y ptovaygioi? "ai ojx eo"tiv sv Tonotq exei»oi; tj ic-
gsu?, v Sia'x. ij (a.ov. otysiXovai ^airTiaat aoToi xai xoo*pti-
xoi ^pio"Tiayoi ffgo'f to fA,r) aVoOay£iv aj3a'ffTio*Ta 33). - fA,v
ovToq ispius,fiuirTl£soQai vvotuv sCpio-xo[A.svvv ^pio-Tia-
ywv xai vir avTOV tov iSiov ffaTpoj, oil yap eVny a/x. 40.
— Ei ^aiTTl^st 8s xai o TSio? ir. ../zdvo> si ^gio-Tiavdf, oux

Id. 34 - 7) Elys f. n-go(3c-|3. Jv m(48. Lucem forte dabunt
huic can. ea quae in cod.331egimus: 'O ^a«-Ti<rO£if

tx yEOT^TOsauTOu.xp'O'TJavof «> **o 17' xai iE'xgo'v«v,£»»-
TouvTai auTou Tot apiagTu'/xaTa.'Ea'y Si sx xuv e'6»Jy Tifij
xai f3aJrTia8i7 xai [ei]X' stv io~rL, xai yiyw'<rxA»y ypdfXfAaTa,
Se^eVOu ii( i£g«ffw'ytjy.— 8) Aapi^avoy tcc y svQittv sl( tov
o'xoy auTwy 33. Xtf ptraMSuv tou; Xapi^a>oyTa<. . . in-

S. NICEPHORUS CP.

337

XaiuSr) /.Xs[JL[ji.arat ov% UgoCruf dWd xai d hfuSiis
xai tu toiovtu itE^nrEtruv , xaOaigerrai.

4e. Ta dvTipiivvia, Iv0a av 5(gs«a yevrirai tovtuv ,
ax«XuTW£ ■napairEp.TtQVTai, xai ou Trspiy^d^ovTai e'v tvSe
tv) evogicL 77 EXft'vt}, aXXa Se xai uTTEgdgia yivovTaj, xaOa

$7} XttJ TO SstOV [AUgOV 1).

•4^-' 'Eav avTipiivmov 2) jrXovO^sy to'ttw dnov.QVtyu -n
xaXu/x/zara 3), ow'x eo-tiv a/xapWa" el Se ev tottw ev a wa-

T£?Taj , df/,af>TaVETat.

4£' 'O pisra dvTifxivaiov e'v i'Sia> to'ttw oi'xtVxov rj
irXo/ou, Se/a<f eixovi d^upio-psvu, ispovpyijffaq r, |3a7rW-
<raj, o j 7TQOXQi[xaTKT^-n(TETai , svsi xai oi toi'j (3a<7J-
Xeoo-jv 4) eVo'/ajvoi xXi7g»xoj £7r» TTESiaSwv epypuv UpOUQ-
youtriv , ev jxovu [aevtoi dnoTSTaypiEvu £»'j touto (3a/xGi-
xi'y« 5) olxiaxu.

Ar)'. fEcty] ieqeos \siToopyna-n 8i%a avT»/x»vo"i'oy , e^ei
iirirlpttov jcgdvov Eva, /xsravoia? g'.

40 'Isgju? 0) ETriyvoiJ j tvjv cJvojxov /xo»;££o9siVav ,
etTruadjXEvoq fxsv , azwXt/To?" 7raqaSs^d[y.ivoq Se, dvispoq'
tt)v npoixa Se Tr)i TOiauTvjt; to /aev Si[xoipov unkp too
te^9e'vtoj TraiSd;, to Se TgjTov 7ragaa^E0y;'o-£Ta« auV/7
So^-oa-ofJLtvov £»'? to povao-T-opiov e'v w dnoxa^ria-zxai.

g. Eav Tif aVd xX£\|//a5 ($6veuciv [/.eXsr-no-n , Ini-
Ttf/Aa etv) X, fXETavotag /*', to ?rg«i' xai E<T7TEpa<;, optoiug
xai avTi'Swgov xaTa 8' xwgiaxaj.

ga. 'O xXeVtvj? x«to tov f/.syav BaaiXsiov xav.l-d
e! yt,ev.ixou<riuq E^u/xoXoyvffaTO , Et'? eto? ev d$opi£s-
ta\' si Se eXsy^Beiv , ettj /3'. 'AXX' ty*«X$ tov yvvxriuq ps-
ravoovvTa, i'wj rJ/y.Ega? /x' t^; xoiywvj'aj aVs »gyo/zsv- ,
tov Si sXjy^OEVTa p^gdvov opoiov {xsra tt)v 6' ^vpotfia-
youvra. xut pETavo/a? to vjx3'/)/XEgov.

magis foro quani in eccleslastico versatus, unde-
cim tamen Nicephori canones excitavit, quorum
duos, scilicet nostros 94, 95, solus propemodum
servavit in can. epitome sect. II tit. 1 et 6. Cod. 27
nanian. fusiorem videtur sequi scripturam: 'O Se

8. xX. s. sis Ispuauvriv oox eg^ETai. Ei oe /xeto." t»jv ls~
puavv/iY tu rraOsi TTEpiirEdoOrai, rovrog Trj; iEf>uauvriq
diro yo/xvow (diroyvjxvuO'n ?), xaTa tov xe' tJv dyiuv aVo-

<rTdx«v , canonemque integrum recital et addit: xai

o to xXaffEv oTroSE^d^tEvoc i<ru$ too xXE\}/avTo; rtpLupEi-

t«.— 1) /xJcov. Brevius in cod. 28 et 29 ( Marcian.

231, 232)." rd avTipivaia oJ 7rEgiyga<povTaJ ev olq itE^-
JTOVTai to'ttoi?, aXX' axuXurut; [aXXa navray^ou 29] i'e-

gougyouo-iv. His quae supra ad can. 16 tetigimus obiter
de antiminsiis , adde pauca huic 95 etcaeteris canoni-
bus illustrandis necessaria. Ut requiruntur pro sa-
cris conficiendis altaria ab episcopo consecrata et
lapidea, quae hue illuc deportari Orientales non
sinunt, ita facile concesserunt sacros quosdam pan-
nos , altarium ritu et vice usurpari , quos anti-
minsia dicunt, i. e. quae pro consecralis mensis
sunt. Quum autem templum dedicatur , solent anti-
stites huiusmodi pannum bumi sternere , sanctaeque
mensaecircumvolvere, eumdemque postea, in mul-
tas partes scissum, inter sacerdotes distribuere, ut

Jam Eccles. Graec. Tom. II.

pitalibus , ad sacerdotium non admittatur; quin etiam
sacerdotio initiatus, si in tale crimen ceciderit,
deponatur.

95. Antiminsia, ubicumque fuerit iis opus, citra
prohibitionem miltunlur, neque bac vel ilia re-
gione circumscribuntur, sed in allam quoque pro-
vinciam transferuntur, sicut et sacrum unguentura.

96. Si antiminsium lotum fuerit, vel etiam vela,
in loco abdito, non peccalur; sin ubi palam deam-
bulalur, peccatum est.

97. Qui cum anliminsio in privato loco domun-
culae vel naviculi, divinis imaginibus consecrato,
autliturgiam aut baptismum perficit, ne cilius dam-
netur , quum clerici imperatoribus addicti , in cam-
pestribus desertis sacra faciunt, nec nisi interim
in tuguriolo ad id ex panniculis linteis aptalo.

98. Sacerdos, si liturgiam fecerit sine antimin-
sio , obnoxius est poenitentiae unius anni et cen-
tum metanoearum.

99. Sacerdos qui noverit coniugem suam adul-
teravisse, si dimiserit earn, erit insons; si receperit
earn, contaminatur. Dotis vero illius duae partes
proli genitae reserventur: tertia autem pars ipsi
danda ad monasterium in quo tondebilur.

100. Si quis ex furto in ca£dis meditationem ve-
nerit, habet poenam IV annorum , metanoearum XL
sabbato -ad vesperas, simulque donum offerat per
IV dominicas.

101. Fur ex magni Basilii Qanone LXI, si sponto
confessus fuerit, uno anno separalur; si convictus,
duobus annis : nos autem sincere poenitentem XL
dies a communione arcemus; convictum, per idem
tempus , additis ad horam IX xerophagia et VI me-
tanoeis die ac nocte.

ipsi sanclas iis mensas , ubicumque sacra celebra-
verint, amiciant. Cf. Bevereg. t. II, p. 132 Annot.
Editores horum canonum omnes fugit Harmenopuli
esse scholium illud quod male in canonem intru-

SeniOt. KaXoJyTai Se ovtu;, ut; avTiTrpotrurra xai dvri-
runa ruv ffoXXcJv jxivauv, tuv xarapTi^ovruv tvjv dyiav
xai Sjo-7roTJxrjv rpditE^av xupiug Se lit txstvatf tuv
TpoLTTE^uv TiQEVTai a? xaQi Egucni; oJ^ »jy»ao*£V. Itdem

praeterea editores caecis oculis ineptam Leuncla-
vii versionem receperunt , omniuo emendandam et
sic fortasse: « Antiminsia autem appellantur, quasi
in vice et in imagine ponantur multorum linleo-
lorum qui sacrae et dominicae mensae aptantur.
Proprie vero pro mensis apponuotur, quas conse-
cratio non sanctiflcavit. » Haec Earmenopulus ac-
cepit a Balsamone in can. VI. concil. H. SS. ni-
caeni.— 2) dvTip'ivaiov. Canon 16 accedat hisce qua-
luor 95, 96, 97, 98; omnes enim simul iunguntur in
cod. 28 etquatuorin 29 sub eadem epigraphe n-spi

dvTi[xiva-iuv Stxr,$ dgot> Trar^iag^ow , quasi ab UUO foilte

deriventur. — 3) xaXu^a cod. 29, suspicor gravius
mendum hue irrepsisse, pro his verbis quae cod.
48 in can 16 inserit : povov e'v dnov.^j^u toVw Exyu-

veVOw to d7roxdXupi[j.a. — 4) (3ao"iXiXijj pro ^ao-iX»xo?5 ?

29.-5) (3«/x(3t?x/t« ib. — 6) le^eof. Ex eodem veneto

B. ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE RUSSIAN BYZANTINE CERE-
MONY FOR THE CONSECRATION OF ANTIMENSIA BY A BISHOP
APART FROM THE CONSECRATION OF A FIXED ALTAR (HOLY
TABLE) 1

First of all, the bishop orders the treasurer, or the priest to whom is
entrusted the consecration of the churn and who has experience in this,
to prepare all that is needed, that is : a little pocket is sewn on the reverse
side of the antimensia, in the middle of the upper part. When they are ready
he places them on a tray and carriers them into the church, putting them
on the altar on the "inditia" (altar cloth). He also prepares the wax-mastic,
the holy relics of the Martyrs and a receptable with the "rodostamma"
(rose-water), (a good Mass wine is used if there is no rose-water), the sacred
Myron (chrism) in a container, and a brush for anointing the antimensia
with the Myron.

The sacred relics are placed in particles on a Diskos (Paten) with
the Asteriskos on the Diskos ; they are covered with the "pokrov" (Paten
Veil), put on the prothesis table, and two candles are lighted in front of
them. (If many antimensia are to be consecrated, then relics are placed on
the paten according to the number of the antimensia).

When the time for the Sacred Liturgy has arrived the Bishop vests
in all the episcopal robes ; over these he is girded with a savanon (apron) ;
in front, from chest to feet ; in back, caught up in a way that the two ex-
tremes touch. Across this savanon is placed a cincture ; on each arm of
the Bishop is placed a towel, tied with a ribbon.

Vested in this way the Bishop enters the sanctuary and the priests
and deacons present enter with him ; no other persons may come into the
sanctuary : only the Bishop, the priest and the deacons (and servers).

The protodeacon : Let us pray the Lord.

1 Adapted from Maltzew, Begr3bnis-Ritus und-einige specielle und alterhumliche
Gottesdienste der Orthodox-Katholisjhen Kirche des Morgenlandes, Part II, pp. 1 14-142, as
collated with various Euchologia and Cinovici.

278

The Bishop, in front of the altar, prays over the antimensia, in a way
so as to be heard by all :

"O Lord God, our Savior, who create and ordain everything
for the salvation of the human race, accept the prayer which we,
your unworthy servants offer to You ; render us apt at this moment
to accomplish in blameless manner this our ministry of consecrating
an altar for your glorification, in your Holy Name, in the name of
Saint N. N., and of offering on this holy table the sacred gifts."

Exclamation (Ekphonesis) : Because to You is given all glory, honor
and adoration, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and always and forever
and ever. Amen.

And immediately an orletz (small carpet) is extended before the Royal
Doors of the Ikonostasis and a cushion placed on it. The Bishop leaves
the sanctuary, and when he is on the orletz :

The protodeacon : Again and again, bending the knee, we pray to
the Lord.

The Bishop kneels on the cushion, and the priests who are with him,
as also all the deacons who are in the sanctuary, kneel down. The Bishop
prays as follows :

"O God without beginning and eternal, You draw all things
out of nothing ; You dwell in inaccessible light ; You have the
heavens as your throne and the earth as a footstool ; you gave
Moses orders and prescriptions, and to Bezalel a spirit of wisdom,
thus enabling them to construct the Tabernacle of the Covenant,
in which rites and celebrations were performed, as images and
prefigurations of the reality; you granted Solomon breadth and
greatness of heart, and that way you reared the ancient temple.
Your grace has inaugurated the true tabernacle, the celebration
in the spirit through your saints and most exalted Apostles ; by
means of them you have planted on the earth your churches and
your altars, O Lord of Powers, so that spiritual and unbloody
sacrifices be offered to you ; who graciously deigned that this altar
be consecrated in the name of Saint N. N., to Your glory, that of
Your only-begotten Son and of Your Most Holy Spirit ; remember,
0 immortal and munificent King, Your bounty and mercy, which
are eternal ; do not disregard us, though contaminated by num-
berless sins ; do not invalidate your covenant by reason of our
un worthiness ; pass over our sins, strengthen us, and by Your grace
and the descent of Your Holy and vivifying Spirit enable us to
perform in blameless manner the consecration of this Your holy
altar (these Your holy altars) ; so that on it (them) we may bless
you with psalms and songs and with the divine mysteries, and

279

forever glorify Your mercy. Yes, 0 Lord our God, hope of the
earth to its very confines, hear us sinners who pray to You ; let
Your Most Holy, the adored and omnipotent Spirit descend ;
consecrate this altar (altars) ; fill it (them) with eternal light, choose
it (them) as your dwelling ; make of it (them) the tabernacle of
Your glory, adorn it (them) with your divine and immense gifts ;
appoint it (them) as a haven for the tempest-tossed, a remedy for
the passions, a refuge for the homeless, a scourge of the demons ;
let Your eyes be open on it (them) day and night, Your ears at-
tentive to the prayers of those who come to it (them) with the fear
and piety of God to invoke Your most Honorable Name, adored
by all ; bring it to pass that everything they ask of You may be
granted from heaven above ; have mercy and be compassionate ;
keep it (them) firm to the very end of time ; make of this altar
(these altars) the Holy of Holies by the strength and action of
Your Holy Spirit. Glorify it (them) more than the Mercy-Seat of
the law, that the sacred actions performed on it (on them) may
reach right to Your holy, heavenly and spiritual holy altar, and
there obtain that we be shadowed by your grace. We have con-
fidence not in the ministry of our unworthy hands, but in your
unspeakable benevolence.

At the end of the prayer the Bishop rises and goes into the sanctuary
toward the holy altar ; the sanctuary is closed and the protodeacon says
inside the sanctuary :

Deacon : Help and save us, have mercy on us and keeps us, O God, by Your
Grace.

Clergy : Lord, have mercy.

Deacon : For peace from on high and the salvation of our souls, let us pray

to the Lord ;
Clergy : Lord, have mercy.

Deacon : For the Holy Synod (or : for His Holiness the Patriarch N. N. and
for the Holy Synod...) (or : for His Holiness the Universal Pontiff
N. N., Pope of Rome and...) and for our Most Reverend (Arch)
Bishop N. N. and the work of his hands, and the reverend clergy
here with him, let us pray to the Lord.

Clergy : Lord, have mercy.

Deacon : That this altar (these altars) may be sanctified by the descent and

the action of the Most Holy Spirit let us pray to the Lord.
Clergy : Lord, have mercy.

Deacon : For our government and all the armed forces, let us pray to the
Lord.

Clergy : Lord, have mercy.

28o

Deacon : For this city (village) (holy monastery), and for every city and
country and those living in them in faith, let us pray to the Lord.
Clergy: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon : For our deliverance from all affliction, anger and need, let us pray

to the Lord.
Clergy : Lord, have mercy.

Deacon : Commemorating our most holy, most pure, most blessed and
glorious Lady, the Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, and all
the Saints, let us commend ourselves, one another, and our whole
life to Christ our God.

Clergy: To You, O Lord.

Exclamation (by Bishop) : For holy are you, our God, who dwell in the
midst of the Martyrs who suffered for You, and to You we ascribe
glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now
and always and for ever and ever.

Clergy : Amen.

After the "Amen," the Deacon having invited : "Let us pray to the
Lord," the Bishop, bowing before the "rodostamma" (rose water), recites
the following prayer :

0 Lord our God, who sanctified the waters of the Jordan with
Your redeeming manifestation, do You now, the same Lord, send
down the grace of Your Holy Spirit and bless this water for the
consecration and completion of this Your Holy altar (of these
holy altars) ; for You are blessed forever and ever. Amen.

And he blesses with the sign of the cross the "Rodostamma" three
times ; then he takes the vessel containing it and sprinkles some of it three
times in the form of a cross on the antimensia, saying :

In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Sprinkle me with hyssop and I shall be pure ; wash me and I shall
be whiter than snow ;

Saying this three times, he then adds the rest of psalm 50 to its end.
And at the conclusion : Blessed is our God, now and ever and for all ages.
Amen.

Then he takes the vessel containing the sacred great Myron (chrism).
While the deacon says : Alleluia three times the Bishop traces three crosses
on each antimension with a brush dipped in sacred Myron ; one in the center
and two at the sides, while psalm 132 ("Behold how good it is") is read in
its entirety. As a "gloria," the Bishop says : Glory to You, Holy Trinity,
our God, for all ages. The priests answer "Amen."

28l

If there are many antimensia, he does the same for each one and
psalm 131 ("0 Lord remember David") is added.

Then the Bishop goes to the table of prothesis with the priests, deacons
and acolytes, and standing before the sacred relics says the following prayer :

Deacon : Let us pray the Lord.

Bishop : O Lord, our God, faithful to Your word and steadfast in Your pro-
mises, who have accorded to Your holy martyrs the accomplishment
of noble and glorious deeds, of fulfilling their mission of piety and of
conserving a genuine confession of the faith ; You, O Most Hoi
Lord, be entreated by their prayers and grant us, Your unworthy
servants, to share an inheritance with them, that being followers
of them we also may be partakers of the good things that await
them.

Exclamation : Through the mercy and love toward mankind of Your only-
begotten Son, with whom You are blessed, together with Your
all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now always and for ever
and ever. Amen.

Bishop : Peace be with all of you.

Deacon : Bow your heads to the Lord.

Bishop : O Lord our God, through the prayers of our most holy Lady,
Mother of God, and of all Your saints, direct the works of the
hands of us, Your unworthy servants, and grant that we may
prove acceptable in all things to Your goodness.

Exclamation : Blessed and glorified be the majesty of Your kingdom, of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and always
and for ever and ever. Amen.

After the prayer has been finished, the Bishop takes the diskos with
the holy relics, covered with the "pokrov" (paten veil). Holding them
on his head he makes an entrance, going from the North door of the
Ikonostasis with the priests, the deacons, the acolytes, and the "ripidia"
(liturgical fans). The' acolytes precede, then the deacons, with thuribles,
incensing ; and they go up to the royal doors. As they enter the Troparion
is sung :

O Good One, who founded your church upon the rock of faith ;
rightly direct our petitions in it, and accept the people who cry
to you in faith : save us, O our God, save us.

Before the royal doors the Bishop says in a loud voice :
Lift up your gates, O Princes.

282

And when the doors have been opened, the Bishop enters the sanctuary
and circles the altar, singing :

O holy martyrs, who fought the good fight and have received
your crowns ; entreat the Lord that our souls may be saved.

Glory to you, O Christ God, the Apostles' boast, the Martyrs'
joy, whose preaching was the consubstantial Trinity,

and places the paten on the altar ; then the thurible is given the Bishop
who incenses the altar on all sides as he says psalm 25 : Judge me, O Lord...
completely. Then he stands before the altar.

Deacon : Let us pray the Lord.

Bishop : O Lord of heaven and earth, who with unspeakable wisdom founded
Your Holy Church, and appointed the Order of the Priesthood on
earth as an antitype of the Angels' service in heaven ; receive
also us, O munificent Lord, who now petition you, not as being
worthy to ask such great things of You, but that the surpassing
excellence of Your goodness may become known, for You have
not ceased to be gracious in many ways to mankind. And, as the
greatest of Your benefits, You bestowed upon us the coming in the
flesh of Your Only-Begotten Son, who was seen upon earth, and
shedding forth the light of salvation upon them that sat in darkness,
offered himselfas a sacrifice for us, becoming a propitiation for the
whole world and making us partakers of his Resurrection ; and after
he ascended into heaven, He endowed His Apostles and Disciples,
as He had promised, with power from heaven, which is the Holy
Spirit, adored and almighty, who proceeds from You, our God and
Father, through Whom, also, they became mighty in deed and
word, administered Baptism unto the adoption of sonship, built
churches, established altars and instituted the laws and precepts
of the Priesthood. And we sinners, having preserved this tradition,
fall down before You, the everlasting God, and implore You, O
most merciful One ; fill With Your divine glory this church erected
to Your praise and show forth Your holy Altar (Altars) set up
in it as the Holy of Holies ; that we who stand around it (them),
as before the awesome throne of your kingdom, may blamelessly
serve you ; sending up to you petitions for ourselves and all the
people, and offering the unbloody sacrifice to Your goodness, to
the remission of sins both voluntary and involuntary, to the gov-
erning of life, the attainment of good behavior, and the fulfillment
of all righteousness. Peace be with all of you.

283

Deacon : Bow your heads unto the Lord.

Bishop : We thank you, O Lord of Hosts, that you have graciously vouch-
safed to continue also to us sinners and your unworthy servant-,
because of Your great love for mankind, that grace which You
poured out on your holy Apostles and upon out saintly fathers.
Therefore we beg You, O all-merciful Lord, fill with glory and
holiness and grace this Altar (altars), that the unbloody sacrifices
which shall be offered on it (them) to You may be changed into
the most pure Body and precious Blood of Your Only-Begotten
Son, who is our Lord, and God, and Saviour, Jesus Christ, unto
the salvation of all Your people, and of our un worthiness.

Exclamation : You indeed are our God, God of mercy and of salvation, and
to You we attribute glory, to the Father, Son, etc.

After he has finished the prayer, the Bishop takes flat pieces of the
wax-mastic, places relics on them, and pours on them the holy great Myron,
and fixes them firmly with the wax-mastic in the pockets provided for them
on the back of the antimension (antimensia). (A practical way to do this
is to take a small disk of wax-mastic, place the particles of relics on it, anoint
them with Holy Myron, and then fold up the disk so that the relics are en-
closed in the wax-mastic before they are inserted into the pockets provided
for them on the backs of the antimensia. They, are then firmly pressed so
that they adhere to the antimensia. The pockets can later be sewn shut
to make sure that the relics cannot fall out.

Deacon : Let us pray the Lord.

Bishop : O Lord our God, who has bestowed upon the holy Martyrs who
suffered for your sake also this glory that their relics should be
sewn far and wide over the earth, in Your holy churches, and
should bring forth healing fruits ; do You, the same Master, who
are the giver of all good things, through the intercession of the
saints whose relics You have graciously permitted to be placed
in this Your most honorable altar i these Your most honorable
altars), enable us in a blameless manner to offer to You on it on
them) the Unbloody Sacrifice ; and grant us all those petitions
that are for our salvation, deigning also to the relics therein of
those who have suffered for Your holy Name, that they may work
miracles for our salvation.

Exclamation : For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
Father, Son, Holy Spirit, etc.

284

After this the Bishop puts aside before the holy altar the savanon
(apron) and towels with which he had been girded. Then he says :

Let us depart in peace.

He now leaves the sanctuary and stands at this usual place. According
to the rubrics, the Hours and the Divine Liturgy begin. The antimensia
must remain on the altar seven days and the Divine Liturgy is to be cele-
brated on them each day. 2 Before the antimensia are distributed, they
must be signed by the Bishop.

2 Note that this rite is performed before the Divine Liturgy ; it can also be celebrated
during the Divine Liturgy after the exclamation : "So that they also with us glorify..."
but in general the "Cinovniki" (pontificate) and the "ustav" (ordo) prescribe that this rite
be carried out before the Liturgy (and this is more fitting) according to the rite as here descri-
bed, lest the course of the Divine Liturgy be interrupted or delayed.

C. THE CEREMONY OF THE CONSECRATION OF A CHURCH PER-
FORMED BY A PRIEST (INSTEAD OF A BISHOP) USING AN
ANTIMENSION PREVIOUSLY CONSECRATED BY A BISHOP

I. Outline of the Ceremony :

I. Preparations :

A. On a table behind or near Holy Table : container with handle
for heating wax-mastic; ingredients of wax-mastic; 4 nails; 4 stones;
towels; red wine; rose-water; perfume; sponges; a knife; 15 to
20 meters of silk or cotton cord; plates; candles for the Priests
to hold; a container of water to be blessed, and the Holy Water
sprinkler; Container of Holy Myron, and brush.

B. On another large table placed in the center of the Church are altar
covers of Prothesis and Holy Table (inditij, sraciza, etc.), Chalice veils
(Vozdukh, Pokrovci), the eiliton, Tabernacle, Altar Gospel Book,
Hand-Cross, Chalice, Diskos, Asteriskos, Spear, Communion Spoon,
plates, sponge for antimension, sponge to be kept in Chalice when
not in use.

C. Two lecterns (analoj) beside table B. with three blessed Ikons on
them (Jesus, Mary, Titular of Church).

D. The seven-branch Candelabra ; processional candles.

E. Vestments for Concelebrants, Deacons, and Servers. Also aprons
(zapony) to protect vestments of Concelebrants. Liturgical books.

F. Veil (zavjesa) for Royal Gates. 2 thuribles.

G. Table for the Artoklasia (Blessing of Bread, Oil, Wine, Wheat) at
the Nocturnal Vigil, and which will later be used to hold the An-
timension before the fixed Ikon of Christ during the night.

II. Ceremony

A. Preliminaries : Little Vespers and Nocturnal Vigil are celebrated
in Church to be consecrated on the evening of the Vigil of the
Consecration. In the morning, before the Consecration, the Anti-
mension may be carried to the nearest Consecrated Church ; more

usually, it is left before the Ikon of the Savior where it has rested
during the night with a lamp burning before it, lying on a Diskos,
covered by Asteriskos and Veil (Vozdukh).

B. Blessing of Water : Concelebrants, Deacons, and Servers vest and
Lesser Blessing of Water is performed.

C. Construction of the Altar : Concelebrants put on aprons. First
Celebrant sprinkles holy water on both sides of the mensa. Con-
celebrants put mensa on its supports, wax-mastic is poured into
the holes provided, excess scraped off with knife, nails pounded
through holes to fasten mensa to supports, using stones for ham-
mers. Psalm 22.

D. Washing of the Altar (Holy Table) :

i. Writh warm water soap, dried with towels ;
(2. With blessed mingled red wine and rose-water ;)
3. It is dried with sponges. Psalm 83.

E. Anointing of Holy Table with Holy Myron (Chrism) : First Priest
anoints Altar in three places, i.e. the middle where the Altar Gospel
will lie, and a bit below on either side where the Diskos and Chalice
will stand during the Divine Liturgy.)

F. Anointing of the Walls of the Church with Holy Myron : First
Priest anoints walls with Holy Myron in the form of a Cross in
the following order : The East Wall (Apse) above the elevated
place (seats for Bishop and Priests), above the West Doors, on the
North Wall and finally on the South Wall.)

G. Vesting of Holy Table & Prothesis : Sracica of Holy Table is sprin-
kled, placed over Holy Table, tied with cords. Inditija is sprinkled
and Holy Table is vested with it. The furnishings of the Holy
Table (except the Antimension) are placed on it. Prothesis is
vested and its furnishings placed on it after each has been sprinkled
with Holy Water. Psalm 92.

H. Purification of the Sanctuary and Church : Sanctuary and Church
are sprinkled with Holy Water and incensed by First Priest. He
lights the altar candles. Psalm 25.

I. Procession with Antimension : First Priest says "Let us depart in
Peace." He and Concelebrants (carrying Ikons) procede from
Sanctuary to place before fixed Ikon of Christ where the Anti-
mension lies on a table. First celebrant incenses the Antimension
and prostrates before it, picks up Diskos with Antimension and
preceded by Clergy and People exits from Church and walks around
outside of Church. Second Priest follows him sprinkling outside

287

walls of Church with Holy Water. Troparia. Arriving back at
outside doors of Church, First Celebrant deposits Antimension
and Diskos on a small table prepared there with four candles at
its corners. First Celebrant makes 3 prostrations to Antimension
and chants : "You are Blessed, O Christ our God..." then dialog
begun "Lift up your gates, O Princes..." Dialog interrupted as
First Priest reads two prayers. Renewal of dialog. First Celebrant
picks up Diskos with Antimension, traces a Sign of the Cross on
the doors, then all enter Church.
J. Enthronement of Antimension : First Celebrant goes directly into
Sanctuary with Antimension and deposits it on the Holy Table,
covers it with Gospel Book and incenses it. All kneel and he recites
a prayer.

K. Closing rites : All rise, First Priest, standing in the center of the
Church, signs the cardinal points (E, W, S, N) with the Hand-Cross
as Deacon incenses Cross. All come to kiss Cross and are sprinkled
with Holy Water when they come up. The sponges used for the
washing and drying of the Holy Table are cut into pieces and
distributed as sacred souvenirs.

L. The Divine Liturgy : The Hours are read and Divine Liturgy
begins. It is celebrated in the newly consecrated Church each day
for seven days.

The Proper Day for the Consecration of a Church (either by a Priest
or a Bishop) - It may be celebrated on any day except the following :
(Because of Confusion of Officies)

A. A Church may not be consecrated on the Feast Day to which the
Church is dedicated. Interference and confusion would occur
between the proper parts of the Office when the Feast Day and
the Anniversary of Consecration were celebration simultaneously.

B. A Church dedicated to the Resurrection may not be consecrated
on a week-day. It must be consecrated on a Sunday, but however,
not on the Sundays which fall during Lent or Pentecost, nor on
which are always celebrated Feasts of the Mother of God, or of the
Holy Fathers, or of the Martyrs.

C. A Church dedicated to a Saint may not be consecrated on Feasts
of the Savior or of the Mother of God, or of a great Saint whose
Office has "polielej."

D. Because of fasting prescriptions, Churches should not be conse-
crated during Lents or on a day of fast.

288

2. The Ceremony in full 1 :

At the consecration of a church performed by a priest the same rites
are celebrated, with slight variations, as prescribed for the consecration
when carried out by a bishop.

The following list has been compiled of things indispensable for the
consecration of a church as performed by a priest : The superior, or Rector,
with his clergy in attendance for the consecration of the church, must have
the following items ready for the day of the consecration : a small casserole
of copper for the wax-mastic, the handle of which must be wrapped in cloth
so as not to burn the hands ; 500 gms. of yellow wax and 50 gms. of each
of the following materials : mastic, plain incense and rose-incense, and aloes,
all ground up ; four nails ; four stones ; five or more towels ; two bottles of
red wine, one for the consecration ceremony, the other for the Eucharist
and for the teplota of the celebrants ; a bottle of rose-water ; some phials
of perfume ; six "greek" sponges, one for the antimension, one for the chalice,
and the others for the consecration ceremony ; a clean table knife ; a cord
of silk or of cotton, 15 to 20 meters, a second one of the size of the altar ;
the two small plates usually used for the antidoron for presenting to the
celebrant all the ingredients indicated above for the consecration of the
altar ; 15 to 20 candles for the priests to hold, of the kind used for the noc-
turnal vigil, to be used for the consecration of the water and that of the
church at the proper moment ; a receptacle for the blessing of the water,
of not too large a size, and the sprinkler. All the above-mentioned items
are to be placed on a table arranged at the rear of the altar, where this is
possible. Further, on the day of the consecration itself, some tepid water
in any sort of a container must be placed on this same table.

On another large table, covered with a white cloth and placed in the
center of the church, must be arranged the utensils of the prothesis table
and of the altar, in the following order : at the left half of the table are placed,
crossed, the cover of the prothesis, on top of this the sradica of the prothesis ;
on top of all this the cover of the altar, the inditij and the sradica and above
this the vozdukhi (chalice veils) and the eiliton. Then at the right half of
the table : the tabernacle, the gospel, the cross, the chalice, the diskos (paten),
the asteriskos, the spear, the little spoon, the small plates, the sponges for
the antimension and the one which is kept in the chalice. Finally, this table
is to be covered with a white and diaphanous material, like muslin, of which
there will be necessary two and a half meters in length and two in width,

1 Translated from Nikolskij, USTAV, pp. 815-823.

289

according to the size of the table. Alongside this table are arranged two
analoj (lecterns) and above them three blessed ikons, of the Savior, of the
Mother of God, and a smaller one of the titular Saint of the church ; then
the seven-branch candelabra, if there is one, and other movable candelabra,
two, four, six, eight, or as many as are desired. Before the consecration
of the church these are to be removed, to be brought into use only during
the nocturnal vigil, to give more light and added solemnity to the church,
since no lights are placed before the fixed ikons not yet blessed ; and the
celebrants carry out the nocturnal vigil not in the sanctuary but in the
center of the church at the above-mentioned place in front of the covered
table and with the holy doors closed. Further, one must prepare the priestly
and diaconal vestments according to the number of the celebrants ; for in
the consecration from three to six, or eight, priests may participate. Thus,
for example : during the procession inside the church the Superior carries
the holy antimension ; the following two priests accompany him, supporting
his arms ; the next two carry the cross and the gospel ; the next, the ikons
of the Savior and of the Mother of God ; besides these priests there should
be another who precedes the procession, sprinkling the church and the people.
The Liturgy can be celebrated with three or five. There must be four deacons ;
one stays with the Superior, another holds the wax-mastic, another carries
the blessed water, while still another presents each ingredient for the con-
secration ceremony. When there are not enough deacons, then the psalomsciki
(minor clerics) can be invited to these functions ; besides these three servers
wearing "stichars" are needed : one to present the thurible, another to read
the Hours, the third to hold the book for the Superior during the conse-
cration. Chanters are also required. There is need of zapony (aprons) for
the priests according to the number of celebrants, the zavjesa (curtain) for
the Royal doors, and another curtain of simple cloth for near the west doors...
This last can be adjusted on a wire or a silk cord in the church ; otherwise,
follow the prescriptions of Trebnik. Some copies of the sluzebnik (missal)
are to be prepared for priests and also a complete series of the Office books ;
two thuribles, a lantern for the procession, two deacons' candles, the holy-
water sprinkler, and from three to five seats. Besides the tables for the
blessing of the breads (during the vigil service), that will have to be used
also during the consecration to hold the antimension when they will carry
it into the church and place it in front of the curtain, another small table
{analoj) is needed to hold the Holy Antimension which, during the cele-
bration of the nocturnal vigil, will be placed in the church in front of the
nocturnal vigil, will be placed in the church in front of the fixed ikon of
the Savior. In the morning, before the blessing of the water, at the sound

20 - J. M. - The Antimension

290

of the bell, the Holy Antimension in carried by the priest, accompanied
by the deacon and preceded by candlebearers, to the nearest consecrated
church, if there is one ; otherwise it is left in the place indicated above,
that is, before the fixed ikon of the Savior till the time of the procession.
The Holy antimension is to be placed on the diskos, and then covered with
the diskos veil and the asteriskos ; before it all during the night a lamp is
to burn ; the sracica and the vestments of the altar and of the prothesis
should have been adapted to them in due time according to their dimensions ;
one must be sure that the crosses have been sewn on, and also that the altar
has been made according to the rubrics, with the grooves for the nails at
the corners and for the strings on the edges ; the same for the prothesis.
The altar is made about one meter high, while in length and width it will
be in proportion to the sanctuary and the holy doors. In the morning, before
the bell rings, the wax-mastic is prepared. For this one takes the above-
indicated amount of yellow wax, melts it over a fire and adds to it all that
was indicated above, well ground ; but the mixture is not allowed to boil
too long, so as not to escape (boil over) the casserole. In the rite of the con-
secration of a church performed not by the Bishop, but by a priest, there
is no mention either of red wine or of perfumed liquids when it treats of
the wax mastic, but since these items are of common use and well fit the
meaning of the altar as the Sepulchre of Christ and Golgotha sprinkled with
the blood and water from the pierced side of Christ, they can be used also
in the consecration of a church performed by a priest (Bullettin of the Bishop
of Vladimir, 1876).

Exactly as for the consecration performed by a Bishop, on the vigil
Little Vespers and the Nocturnal Vigil are carried out in the newly constructed
church. In front of the holy doors, on a table covered with a white cloth,
the following items are arranged : the Holy Gospel, the Venerable Cross,
the sacred vessels, the small spoon, the lance the small and large veils for
the diskos and chalice, the small cords for tying the altar, the nails for the
altar, the sponges, all the altar and "prothesis" covers and decorations, and
at the corners of the table four lighted candles. 2 In front of the fixed ikon
ot the Savior, near the royal doors, the already consecrated Holy Antimen-
sion, on a diskos and covered with a vozdukh (large veil),23 is placed on a

1 It is not perfectly clear why Nikolskij repeats, with some changes, the instructions
given' above as to this table and what has to be set out on it. Probably he is collating from
different sources.

2a Nikolskij vacillates between covering the diskos with its proper veil (the pokrov)
or with the larger veil (vozdukh, Aer) ; it is of little importance, and whichever is more con-
venient should be used.

291

table or lectern. A candle burns before it. In the sanctuary, on a special
table near the throne, are arranged : sprinkler and four stones to be used
as hammers for fixing the nails.

On the day of the consecration itself, exactly as for the consecration
performed by a Bishop, the "lesser" blessing of the water is celebrated (as
found in Trebnik). All the celebrants vest themselves. After the blessing
of the Holy Water, the priests put on, over the sacred vestments, a special
linen cloth piece or "zapon" (apron). Vested in this way they take water
in a vessel, the venerable cross and the table with everything necessary for
the consecration, and they carry it into the sanctuary through the royal
doors and they deposit it at the right side of the altar. The royal doors are
now closed. The celebrants gird themselves to fix (permanently place) the al-
tar. While doing this the priest does not pronounce those prayers recited by the
Bishop at the construction of the altar. These prayers have already been
recited by the Bishop when he consecrated the antimension. The priests
take up the wooden mensa (altar top). The Superior sprinkles the mensa
on both sides along with the supports, saying nothing, and then the mensa
is fastened well. The mensa is placed on the supports as psalm 144 is
chanted, "I will exalt you, O Lord my God." Then at the corners of the
mensa in the holes already prepared for the nails on the supports, the wax-
mastic is poured, and then the excess is scraped off with the knives. During
this is sung psalm 22 "The Lord is my shepherd." Then the four nails are
brought, placed on the altar and sprinkled with holy water ; after which
they are put into the holes prepared for them in the mensa. The four stones
are then brought. The superior and the other celebrants nail down the mensa
using the stones as hammers. 3 When the altar is firmly fixed the washing
of it is carried out.

The washing of the altar with luke-warm water is performed in the
following way : the priests, having poured some of the water on the table,
spread it about with their hands and then soap it somewhat. Again they
pour on more of the water to rinse away the soap and then they dry the
altar with towels. They now bring the red wine, the rose-water and the
sponges and after having sprinkled everything with holy water, 4 the Superior
pours the wine and the water on a plate or in any other vessel ; this he then
pours, it, in the form of a cross, at the center of the mensa, and at its sides,
a little below the middle. With him the priests spread this with their hands
over all the altar and then dry it completely with the sponges. Meanwhile

* These stones are then placed beneath the altar where they will remain always (ed.).

* I.e. the Priest blesses the wine, rose-water, and sponges (ed.).

292

psalm 83 is sung, "How lovely, O Lord, are your tabernacles I" The washing
of the altar as performed in times past with rose-water and red wine has
been abrogated, as also the anointing of the altar and the walls of the church
with Sacred Myron (Ukase of the Sacred Synod of July 18, 1733) ; although
this was all prescribed in the patriarchal epoch 5 in Russia.

Psalms 144, 22 and 83 are not chanted when the Bishop consecrates
the antimension apart from the church ; the psalms are chanted when the
Bishop consecrates the church. 6

There is a small book printed in the patriarchal epoch, 7 entitled :
"Office {Akolutia), how the Bishop consecrates the antimensia, and how the
priest celebrates on them in churches where there are no relics." The book
has been translated from the Greek Euchologion manuscript of the Most
Holy Lord Paisios, Father and Patriarch of Alexandria and Judge of the
Universe. In this little book there is found an office for the consecration
of a church, called "little consecration," because the antimension is conse-
crated with great consecration by the Bishop. The small book that contains
the office and the rites is printed in quarto ; has sixteen pages, has no in-
dications of where or when it was printed. In the book there is mention
of the patriarch (N.N.) in the litany and of our pious and God-preserved
Tzar (N.N.). In it are found exactly the same rites for the consecration
of the animensia and of their deposition in the church, that are contained in
the later editions, for example, that of Cinovnik printed in Moscow in 1798,
and in the Great Trebnik printed at Kiev in 1862. In this small book, as
in the Trebnik, one reads : "The priests take the mensa of the altar, the Supe-
rior sprinkles with holy water the supports, or the one support, without saying
anything, and the mensa is then firmly fixed as is becoming, and is washed
with luke-warm water, dried, and again sprinkled with holy water." In this
book there is then added : "And it is sprinkled with rodostamnon (rose water),
if there is any, and also with wine ; with wine only if there is no rodostamnon.
Further, the first priest anoints the sacred table of the altar with Myron (chrism).
After the recitation of psalms 144, 22 and 83, this book goes on to say : "The
holy table of the altar is anointed with sacred Myron in this manner: A cross
is traced at the middle of the altar and at the four corners, one cross for
each place. 8" After the words that are found in the Trebnik : "furthermore

5 Nikolskij writes in 1900 between the time Tzar Peter the Great abolished the Pa-
triarcharte of Moscow in 1721 and its restoration after the Bolshevik revolution in 1917,
and thus he refers to the epoch previous to 1721 (ed.). Nikolskij will return again to the theme
of whether or not the Priest may anoint the altar and the walls with Holy Myron (ed.).

• The rationale for saying these psalms now (ed.).

7 Cfr. above, footnote 5, (ed.).

8 Almost all the Euchologia, Cinovniki and Trebniki prescribe 3 anointings, not five,
on the mensa. Cfr. above footnote 84, p. 76 (ed.).

293

the sanctuary and the entire church are spinkled with holy water," in the
little book there is added : "and they are anointed with holy Myron, the
first unction on the east part of the sanctuary, above the elevated place,
the second time above the west doors, the third time above the east doors,
on the walls in the form of a cross." After the words of the Trebnik : "and
having arrived at the great doors on the west, standing and turned toward
the east," in the book there is added : "he places the Holy antimension
on the column." A similar indication is found in the Trebnik printed in
1677 under the Patriarch Joachim (see my book, On the antimensia of the
of the Russian Orthodox Church, 1872, pp. 59, 60), The Synod of Moscow
of 1667 decreed that at the consecration of a church performed by an Archi-
mandrite or by an Hegumenos or by an Archpriest or by a Priest, the altar
is anointed with holy Myron (Acts of the Synod of Moscow, 1666 and 1667,
Fraternity of St. Peter, Folio 63, on the reverse side), probably on the basis
of the fact that the priest anoints with sacred Myron also at Baptism. 9
But afterwards, when in the Trebnik this anointing was no longer mentioned,
and when a rural dean proposed the following query : "when a priest con-
secrates a church is it lawful for him to anoint the walls and the holy altar
with sacred Myron ?," the Synod, basing itself on the fact that the Trebnik
does not prescribe this anointing (it is not indicated in which Trebnik this
is not prescribed), decreed in 1733 that it is not licit for a priest to anoint
the altar with sacred Myron in the consecration of a church, and more
precisely : "do not anoint the walls of the sanctuary and of the church ;
likewise do not anoint even the 'mensa' of the altar" (Complete Collection
of the Decrees and Dispositions under the Direction of the Russian Imperial
Historical Institute, t. VIII, n. 2727, pag. 113). When the Bishop himself
consecrates the church, an Archimandrite or an Hegumenos or a priest as-
sisting him anoints the walls with sacred Myron. But normally even today
the consecration of a church by a priest is performed in the same manner. 10
After being washed and sprinkled with holy water, the altar is com-
pletely vested, in the same way as at the consecration of a church by a Bishop.
First of all, the sradica is sprinkled with holy water inside and out, as also
the small cords which are stretched over the sradica. The altar is tied
"simply" with these cords and not in the manner used by a Bishop at

9 Nikolskij thus argues that if a Priest can anoint a person with Myron at Baptism
(i.e. the Sacrament of Confirmation after Baptism), then a Priest should be able to anoint
the Church which he is consecrating. This argument may either stem from the fact that
the Mystery (Sacrament) of Baptism and of Confirmation (Chrismation) is superior in sa-
credness to the Consecration of a Church, or because of the similarity between the imparting
of the Sacraments of Initiation and the Consecration of a Church. Cfr. above, footnote 67,
p. 71 (ed.).

10 I.e. a Priest consecrating a Church does anoint mensa and walls with Holy Myron.
Cfr. De Meester, Rituale-Benedizionale Bizantino, p. 199 (ed.).

294

the consecration of a church. 11 (Great Trebnik) ; Generally the first priest
holds the ends of the cord and after the deacon has circled the altar
three times in the manner of a cincture, he makes a knot at the right
support of the altar. (Supplementary Trebnik) ; While the altar is being
vested with the sradica and the small cord, psalm 131 is chanted ; then the
vesting of the altar takes place after the sprinkling with holy water of the
inditija during the chanting of psalm 92. (Gr. Trebnik). Then the Gospel
and the Hand-Cross are placed on the altar. After the altar has been com-
pletely vested, the prothesis table is likewise entirely vested after it has been
sprinkled with Holy Water. On the prothesis are deposited the sacred vessels
after they have been blessed with Holy Water and then the prothesis is covered
with a cloth. Then the priests put of their aprons and the royal doorsare opened.
The first priest sprikles the sanctuary and the entire church with holy water
and incenses the sanctuary and the entire church, while psalm 25 is chanted :
"Judge me, O Lord..." (At the consecration of a church performed by a
priest, the walls are not anointed with sacred Myron, nor even the altar). 12
After the sanctuary and the entire church have been sprinkled and incensed,
the first priest re-enters the sanctuary. They present him a candlestick
with a new candle, not lighted. He lights it himself and places it on an
elevated place near the altar. Then the first celebrant says : "Let us depart
in peace," and takes the ikons, as normally in processions ; then he incenses
everything around the Holy Antimension already consecrated, which has been
previously deposited near the ikon of the Savior on a lectern, on the diskos
and covered with the asteriskos and the diskos veil ; the puts it on his head
and preceded by the procession exits from the Church and walks completely
around the outside of it, in a counter-clockwise direction. 13

11 I.e. not in the form of a St. Andrew's Cross on each of the four sides of the Altar
as when a Bishop consecrates the Altar (ed.).

12 If the altar and walls are nevertheless to be anointed with Holy Myron as Nikolskij
seems to argue above. Cfr. footnotes 9 and 10, page 293, then the first Priest anoints and the
second Priest follows sprinkling the Holy Water. Various Ritual Books prescribe different
places for the walls to be anointed, e.g. the walls, the columns, etc. (ed.).

13 Arrived near the antimension and having incensed it, the first celebrant makes a
prostration to the floor before the antimension, along with the other celebrants who have
entered the sanctuary. Into the sanctuary of the church where the Holy Antimension was
first placed, enter only the principal celebrants, that is, the first, the two who follow him
(priests) and the deacon with the book, and all the others remain near the royal doors. In
the sanctuary the deacon recites the "Little Litany", "Paki i paki..." After the litany, the
ekphonesis : "For you are holy, our God, who dwell among the martyrs who have suffered
for you and to you we attribute praise, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and always and for
ever and ever." Chanters : "Amen", and sing the troparia : "You who have established
the Church on the rock of the faith..." "Holy Martyrs..." and "Glory to you, Christ God...",
twice, and even more if necessary. The first celebrant with the same celebrants as before
makes another prostration to the floor and putting the Holy Antimension on his head re-

295

The second celebrant, following (preceding, in the rite performed by
a Bishop) the first celebrant who is carrying the antimension, sprinkles the
outside of the church with holy water. (Great Trebnik, cap. 107). During
the procession the chanters sing the troparia : "You who have established
the Church on the rock of the faith"... "Holy Martyrs"... "Glory to you,
Christ God..." Arrived at the great western doors, the first celebrant takes
the diskos from his head and deposits it on the table prepared for it in front
of the royal doors. At the corners of the table are four lighted candles. There
the celebrant makes three prostrations, and turning toward the East says,
as he stands facing the holy relics (antimension) : "You are blessed, Christ
our God, now and forever more" ; the chanters answer "Amen" as they
enter the sanctuary. The first celebrant says : "Lift up your gates, o princes,
lift up, o eternal gates, and the King of Glory will enter in," and the chanters
sing the question only once : "Who is this King of Glory ?". Then the proto-
deacon says : Let us pray the Lord. The chanters : Lord, have mercy. The
first celebrant reads in a loud voice the prayer : "God and Father of our
Lord..." (Hapgood, op. cit., pp. 506-507). Then, while all bow, he secretly
recites the entrance prayer : "Sovereign Lord, our God." (Hapgood, op cit.,
p. 507). Both these prayers are the same as recited by a Bishop in the con-
secration of a church. After reciting the prayer, the first celebrant says,
in response to the question of the chanters : "The Lord of hosts, he is the
King of Glory." The chanters make the same interrogation and the first
celebrant answers again : "The King of hosts, he..." and traces a cross with
the antimension (on the diskos), on the doors of the church ; then he enters
the church. After his entrance into the church, the chanters sing the troparion
"As the splendid firmament on high, so have you shown the beauty of the
holy dwelling of your glory, o Lord." The first celebrant enters the sanctuary
with the antimension, deposits it on the altar, and places the Holy Gospel
over it ; and having incensed it, at the invitation of the deacon who says
"Again and again bending the knee, we pray the Lord," kneels and reads
the prayer - one of those two prayers the Bishop says when he performs the
consecration of the church, and precisely : "Lord, our God, who has created
everything by only a word..." (Cfr. Hapgood, op. cit., pp. 509-510). After
the ekphonesis of the first celebrant, "Because you are holy..." he takes the

turns in procession to the consecrated church. Before the procession leaves the consecrated
church the bells are rung (perezvon), and after they have left the church the "beautiful tone"
(krasnyj zvon) ; hen the celebrants enter the second church to get the antimension a fe-
res zvon is rung ; and during the procession of return to the consecrated church, the bells
are rung again. (Diocese of Vladimir, Instruction of 1875). (The preceding is Nikolskij's
own footnote § 1 ; "peres2von" and "krasnyj 2von" refer to particular peals of the church
bells - ed.).

296

cross in hand, and standing erect in the middle of the church, he makes the
sign of the cross with it to the four sides : east, west, south and north. During
this, the deacon incenses the cross as is normally done in processions. He
says : "We pray the Lord." The clergy chant (the people to themselves) :
"Lord, have mercy" three times, when the first celebrant signs each of the
four cardinal points. The celebrant kisses the venerable cross, followed in
this by the other celebrants, and he sprinkles them with Holy Water. The
people kiss the cross as he holds it, and he sprinkles the people with holy
water and begins the Hours.

In a newly-consecrated church there is normally a seven-day cele-
bration. In the Cinovnik we read : "The antimension lies on the altar for
seven days, the Divine Liturgy being celebrated on it every day." (Cinovnik,
Rite of the Consecration of the antimension, toward the end). 14

In the Great Trebnik it is likewise indicated on what days one may
consecrate a churhc. The most common rules for the choice of the day for the
consecration are the following : The consecration of a church is not to take
place on the Feast of a Saint or of the Mystery to which the church is to be
dedicated ; nor is it permitted to consecrate a church on those days, so as
not to confuse the office of the consecration of the church with that of the
titular, which has its proper feast. 15 Excepted are churches consecrated to
the Resurrection of Christ. Churches consecrated to the Resurrection of
Christ cam be consecrated only on Sunday, "but on ferial days they can not
be consecrated, because the Sunday office is not becomingly chanted on a
week-day." (Great Trebnik, Chapter 106). For the rest, even the consecration
of a church to the Resurrection is not permitted on just any Sunday what-
soever : On a Sunday during the time of Pentecost and of Lent, on those
Sundays on which are always celebrated Feasts of the holy Fathers and of
the Sainted Martyrs, and Feasts of Our Lady, the consecration of a church
to the Resurrection is not permitted, nor to other titles, "because there
would be a great clash between the stichira, the Slavnik, the canons, and the
stichira of Lauds. Therefore, "do not consecrate a church that has as titular
a Saint, on the great Feasts of the Lord or of Our Lady, or of the great Saints

14 This is said, we well understand, in the Cinovnik, of the antimensia consecrated
by the Bishop during the consecration of the church, and which will serve for oth erchurches.
(Cfr. my book On the Antimensia, pag. 38). (Nikolskij's footnote § 2).

16 If there occurs a feast of the Lord or of Our Lady or of a Saint on any day whatsoever
of the year, then on that day the church absolutely cannot be consecrated in their honor.
It can be consecrated on the day previous or following, but not on that day at all. And
afterwards, celebrate apart the feast of the consecration (anniversary) and that of the ti-
tiular, because both must be celebrated on that fixed day without any impediment. (Great
Trebnik, Chapter 107). (Nikolskij's footnote § 3).

297

that have Polielej. "During the Great Lent and on days of fast, we do not
consecrate any church because of the quality of food, since we do not dispense
either from fish, or from wine or oil."

The Great Consecration of a church takes place not only after its
construction, but also : i) when it has been contaminated by invasion of
pagans or heretics ; 2) when the altar has been damaged or put out of line
by some reconstruction or renovation. 16

16 In the Euchologia and Trebniki there exsist special blessings to cover these exi
gencies. Cfr. De Meester, Rituale-Benedizionale Bizantino, pp. 224-232.

j \ J Dal Vaticano, li 2I4 . Febbra io... l^J

diSuaSantita

E.mo e Rev. mo Signor Mio Oss.mo,
LfE.mo Signor Cardinals Segretario della S. Congregazione "pro
Ecclesia Orientall" mi comunica che con Rapporto N. Iij.l3/i;2 del 18
dicembre 19ij.2 l'Ecc.mo Delegato Apostolico a Washington ha riferito
avere 1 'Arcivescovo Monsignor Francis J. Spellman, nella sua qualita
di Vicario Militare per le Forze Armate degli Stati Uniti, espresso
il desiderio che venga concesso ai Cappellani Militari di quella Con-
federazione "il privilegio dell'uso dell 'antimensio anziche della
pietra sacra nella celebrazione della S, Messa; questo privilegio,
secondo lo stesso Consignor Spellman, sarebbe stato concesso dalla
Santa Sede ai Cappellani Militari della Gran Bretagna, per la durata
della guerra".

Quest 'ultima affermazione non e esatta; al Vicario Castrense bri.
tannico,- infatti, fu soltanto accordata - come ebbi l'onore di comu=
nicare all'Eminenza Vostra Reverendisslma con Foglio N. 783O/24.2 del
3 novembre 19i^2 - la facolta di perraettere ai Cappellani militari. di
sostituire, per gli a 1 tar i_da _campo , alia pietra sacra un velo con
incluse e bene assicurate alcune autentiche SS. Reliquie.

Lascio pertanto all'Eminenza Vostra di giudicare se convenga ac-

A Sua Emlnenza Reverendissima
ILV SIGNOR CARDINALE CARLO SALOTTI
Prefetto della S. Congregazione dei Riti

cordare l!identica facolta anche all!Ecc.mo Vicario Xilitare delle
Forze Annate degli Stati Uniti in favore del Cappeliani sottoposti
alia sua giurisdizione . Gradirei di essere informato dell1 even tuale
concessione .

BaciandoLe umilissimamente le mani, mi onoro prof essarmi, con
sensi del piti profondo ossequio,

di Vostra Eminenza Reverendissima
Fail .mo Dev. mo Servitor vero

Prot. N.

Sacra Congregatio pro Ecclesia Orientali, vigore facultatum a

Ssmo Domino Nostro Divina Providentia

Pp sibi tributarum, benigne concedit Excmo P. D.

ob praeclara merita erga Ecclesias orientales, privilegium personale utendi,
in celebratione Missae, antimensio, loco petrae sacrae, non tantum in
ecclesiis orientalis ritus, sed etiam extra, quotiescumque aliquod habeatur
incommodum ex usu petrae sacrae, uti in itinere ; dummodo ritus latinus
in ceteris integre servetur, corporali quoque supra ipsum antimensium
posito.

Eadem facultas, praesentibus litteris, conceditur uni vel duobus

sacerdotibus, qui, in iisdem adiunctis, Excmum P. D

comitentur.

Contrariis minime obstantibus.

Datum Romae, ex Aedibus Sacrae Congregationis pro Ecclesia
Orientali, die mensis anno

Sacra Coxgregatio pro Ecclesia Orientali, vigore facultatum a

Ss.mo Domino Nostro Divina Providentia .

Pp. , sibi tributarum, benigne concedit R

ob praeclara merita erga Ecclesias orientales. pri\ilegium personale utendi,
in celebratione Missae, antimensio, loco petrae sacrae, non tantum in
ecclesiis orientals ritus, sed etiam extra, quotiescumque aliquod habeatur
incommodum ex usu petrae sacrae, uti in itinere ; dummodo ritus latinus
in ceteris integre ser\Tetur, corporate quoque supra ipsum antimensium
posito.

Contrariis minime obstantibus.

Datum Romae, ex Aedibus Sacrae Congregationis pro Ecclesia
Orientali, die mensis anno

ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE LATIN TEXT
FOR THE BLESSING OF ANTIMENSIUM LATINUM

(Taken from Phillip T. Weller, The Roman Ritual (Complete Edition),
Milwaukee : The Bruce Pubblishing Company, 1964, pp. 533-544) :

BLESSING OF AN ANTIMENSION

which by a special Apostolic indult may be used in the celebration of Mass
in mission territories, in place of an altar-stone or portable altar. (Approved
by the Congregation of Sacred Rites, March 12, 1947).

The Bishop (or a priest delegated for this), having ascertained the
authenticity of the relics of holy martyrs to be used here, encloses them
in a tiny sack which is sewn in the right corner of the antimension. Then
he blesses the antimension, saying :

B. : Our help is in the name of the Lord.
All : Who made heaven and earth.
B. : The Lord be with you.
All : May He also be with you.
Let us pray.

Lord, we humbly appeal to your sovereignty, asking that it please you
to bless ►£< this antimension, made ready by our lowly ministry to receive
the offerings of your people. For on it we are to offer the Holy Sacrifice
to you, to the honor of the blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, and in
particular to the honor of Saints N. and N., whose relics we have enclosed
therein. Grant that by these sacred mysteries the bonds of our sins be loosed,
our stains blotted out, pardon obtained and graces acquired, so that together
with you holy elect we may merit the joys of everlasting life through Christ
our Lord.

All : Amen.

He sprinkles it with holy water.

S. CONGREGAZIONE
DEI RITI

Roma, 20 Ottobre 1967.

Prot.n. 0.82/967.

Rev. Padre,

In riferimento agli interrogativi che Lei, Rev. Padre,
ha proposto a questa Sacra Congregazione dei Riti, intorno al-
1 ,Antimensio latino » ecco quanto possiamo brevemente dirLe al
riguardo, tenuto conto della prassi vigente :

1°.- Poiche l'Antimensio latino e soltanto benedetto, ne con-
segue che non si pud parlare di "sconsacrazione" del medesimo.

2°.- II detto Antimensio , senza far ricorso al Vescovo, pud es
sere lavato : dopo averne tolto le reliquie, che vi verranno poi
ricucite.

3°.- Nel caso di lacerazione parziale,puo essere da chiunque
rammendato.

4-°.- Lo stesso Antimensio cessa infine la sua funzione, allor
che, secondo la comune estimazione, si rendera "inservibile" : a
causa per esempio di lacerazioni multiple e non piu decorosamen-
te riparabili; in tal caso e owio che rimane l'obbligo del re-
cupero delle reliquie.

Colgo 1' occasions per ossequiarLa distintamente.

Dev. mo in Domino

Rev. Padre

P. JANUARIUS M. IZZO OFM.
Pontificio Ateneo Antoniano
Via Merulana 124

&*c<^. t< fir ~<&fr,t

R0M4

APPENDIX II

TABLES, PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS

307

Size
in
inches

CO M M M CO M CO M D^fOMM MM MM ~CO

iO 0> -<f N 00 co 0^ ro O 0>0> t^oo ro ro n » oo t}- ON
N M mm N M MM Nm mm Wm mm M m mm NN

n a g

rt 00 lO 0 CO 0 H tJ- M 00 IO *t Q\ 00 00 OfOOPO

tj- oo n in »n in 00 9 ^ 00 d od n o> v6 ro ro «oo »o\d O

O ro <0 tJ- lO-^- «0^- t t O * ro ro in ^- ro in iO

Lining

none

gold
silk

none

red
silk

red
cotton

none

Color
&type
of cloth

blue
silk

white
linen

green
silk

grey
silk

pink
silk

white
silk

linen

white
linen

Color

of
print.

black

black
& red

black

colors
black

black
& red

black

Date

of
print.

CO ro vA
2 £ £ ON £

M M

Consecrator

•

Unconsecrated
Unconsecrated
Patriarch Ma-

Allium 1 V Ul

Antioch

Bishop Iuve-
nali of Orlov
U.S.S.R.

Met. Pimen of
Krutitsy & Ko-
lomna

Bishop Peter
Bucis

Bishop Andrew
Katkoff

Bishop
John Bucko

Bishop Nicholas
Elko of Pitt-
sburgh

Unconsecrated

Date

of
Cons.

not

marked

July 20
1881

Sept. 4
1967

Oct. 4
1933

Jan. 12
1967

April 29

Dec. 8

Feb. 27
1964

Branch
of

Byz. Rite

Greek
Orthodox

Melkite
Catholic

Russian
Orthodox

Russian
Catholic

Ukrainian
Catholic

Ruthen.
Catholic

Serbian
Orthodox

Origin

Greece
Rome
Egypt

U.S.S.R.

Rome
Rome
Rome
Rome

U.S.A.

Jugosl.

I. The use of the Antimension in the Byzantine Divine Liturgy. The Antimension
lies folded in its eileton under the Gospel Book at the beginning of the Liturgy.

2. After the Gospel is read the Gospel Book is placed standing on the altar. Anti-
mension still folded in eileton.

21 J. M, Izzo - The Antimension

3. During the Liturgy of Fervent Supplication ("Insistant Litany") the eileton is
fully unfolded, and the antimension is unfolded except for the upper part. Relic
pouch visible as dark spot.

4. At end of the Litany of the Catechumens, the antimension is fully unfolded. At
Great Entrance, the Elements of Bread and Wine are carried to the Holy Table
for the anaphora — from left to right — Chalice ; diskos (paten) with large host
("Lamb") and Commemoratory particles, surmounted by asteriskos ; antimension
sponge visible as white roughly-triangular object.

5- Latin petra sacra or portable altar stone ; the circle at right is stone cover of "se-
pulcher" containing relics. It has been anointed with Holy Chrism on the five
incised crosses. Material — white marble ; size — 6" X6" X5/8" (15X15X16 cm.);
sepulcher-round, 1" (2.5 cm.) in diameter; weight 2.2 lbs. (1 kilo).

An altar "ad modum fixi" - wooden
altar painted to imitate marble)
with portable altar stone inserted.

7. Byzantine Antiniension used on a Latin "ad modum fixi" stable altar, under three
altar cloths (which have been folded back to show antimension).

8. Detail of photograph 6 - altar cloths rolled back to show wooden mensa with petra
sacra inserted in recess so that it is flush with surface of mensa. Dark square in
center is stone cover of "sepulcher." Visible at the corners of petra sacra are dark
stains where it was anointed with Chrism and incense burned on it during conse-
cration ceremony. No incised crosses.

The Latin Antimensium. The triangle in corner is relic-pocket. In the opposite
corner a cross has been embroidered (not prescribed). This Antimension was
obtained in 1968 from the Vicariate of Rome, blessed by Archbishop Ferdinand
Card. Antonelli, O.F.M., Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Rites.

The relics removed for washing of Latin Antimensium. The relics, in their paper
packet (s) visible near corner of antimensium.

XI. The wooden High Altar in the Roman Pontiff's Cathedral Church, the Arch-
basilica of St. John Lateran. The wooden surface, as well as the front of the
wooden altar (with the cross-bar of the incised cross), is visible in its protective
casing of marble.

12. Close-up of surface of wooden altar - bands are to fasten altar down ; they have
wax seals (faintly visible at center right) to insure its authenticity.

13. The wooden portable altar tablet of the other (non-Byzantine) Oriental rites. A
Catholic Syrian Rite "tablit" with inscription in Syriac : "The Holy Trinity has
consecrated this tablit in the year N.X. by the hands of the Bishop X.X." It
does not contain relics ; it is used also on consecrated fixed altars.

14. A Catholic Coptic Rite "thysiaste
rion" or "tabot" with inscription
in Coptic-Greek characters : "Jesus
Christ, Son of God." It is without
relics, and is used also on consecra-
ted fixed altars.

15- A dissident Ethiopian rite "tabot" with inscription in Geez dedicating it to Jesus
Christ and to the Saints in whose honor it was consecrated. It does not contain
relics and is used also on the consecrated fixed altar.

1 6. Reverse of same.

Various printed Byzantine Antimensia. A Russian Orthodox Antimension con-
secrated in the time of Empress Catherine the Great (whose name appears in
the inscription) by Timofei, Metropolitan of Moscow and Siezsk, 1764. Material -
white taffeta ; printed with black ink.

Russian Orthodox Antimension consecrated in 1865 by Bishop Antony of Smolensk
and Dorogobush. Dark blue silk ; black printing.

19- Russian Orthodox Antimension consecrated in 1881 by Bishop Juvenali. Violet
silk with black printing.

20. Russian Orthodox Antimension consecrated September 4, 1967, by Metropolitan
Pimen (Izebekov) of Krutitsij and Kolomna. Countersigned on reverse by Pa-
triarch Alexei of Moscow, dated October 24, 1967. Pink silk ; black printing.
Edge of eileton visible at top, antimension sponge at top right. Same clichet
as for preceding antimension (No. 19).

21. Reverse of antimension (No. 20) showing counter-signature : "Alexei, Patriarch
of Moscow and all Russia, October 24, 1967" (at top), relic-pouch (center), and
inscription giving name of the church in which the antimension was conse-
crated (bottom) .

22. Russian Catholic Antimension consecrated at Rome on October 4.
1933, by Bishop Peter Bucis. Printed in black on white satin.

23. Russian Catholic Antimension consecrated January 12, 1967, by Bishop Andrew
Katkoff in Rome. Printed on white satin in 6 colors by Vatican Polyglot Press.
Cfr. above pp. 41 ff.

24. Reverse of same. Relic pouch visible as white square. Relics in waxmastic visible
through cloth as dark round spot (upper center). Design faintly visible through
cloth.

Antimension printed in black on dark blue satin by Greek Orthodox in vear 1963.
Consecrated at Rome by Russian Catholic Bishop Andrew Katkoff, January 12,
1967. On the bottom the Bishop has written "to be used in all places in Christ's
Kingdom by Reverend Father N.N." Beside the Entombment it bears ikons
of Deposition, Resurrection, the Church Triumphant, the 4 Evangelists, various
instruments of the Passion, and the Holy City of Jerusalem. Tt bears the printed
inscription around the edges in Greek : "A Divine and Sacred Altar (Thysiasterion)
for the purpose of the Divine Priestly Celebration."

Serbian Orthodox Antimension, unconsecrated. White linen printed in black.
Bears Ikons of 12 scenes from the Passion besides Entombment. Underneath
is printed in Paleoslav a verse from Canticle of Canticles : "I sleep bm my heart
keeps vigil." (cant. 5 : 2).

Melkite Catholic Antimension, unconsecrated. Printed in 1903 at Rome ; black
on white linen. Printed inscriptions in Arabic and Greek.

Melkite Catholic Antimension consecrated by the late Patriarch Maximos IV
Saigh. Printed in Egypt in 1948, in black and red ink on green linen. Golden
silk lining sewn on back. No handwritten data of consecration. Relics at lower
edge under printed seal. Printed inscriptions in Arabic and Greek.

29- Ukrainian Catholic Antimonsion consecrated in 1721 by Anastasij Septitskij,
Archbishop Metropolitan of Kiev ; printed in black on white linen.

30. Ukrainian Catholic antimension consecrated May 1, 1851, by Bishop Mikhail
Levickij for the Church of St. Barbara, Vienna. Printed in black on white linen.

3i. Ukrainian Catholic Antimension consecrated by Andrew Septitskij, O.S.B.M.,
Metropolitan of Halic, Archbishop of Lvov, Bishop of Kamenec (d. 1944)- Design
by I. Makarevic, 1901. Printed in black on white linen.

32. Ukrainian Catholic Antimension consecrated by Bishop John Bucko at Rome.
Stamped Property of United States Military Ordinariate. Printed in black on
white linen.

J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

33- Ukrainian Catholic Antimcnsion consecrated December 8, 1956, by Bishop John
Bucko and distributed by S. Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Design
by Priest-monk (Studite) Juvenali. Inscriptions in Greek; printed in black and
red on white linen. Red silk lining sewn on back.

35- Ukrainian Catholic Antimension consecrated by Major Archbishop Joseph Car-
dinal Slypyj, April 27, 1967. Printed in black and red on white linen. Design
by Priest-monk (Studite) Juvenali. Red silk lining.

36. Ruthenian Catholic Antimension consecrated February 27. 1064, by Bishop
Nicholas Elko of Pittsburgh (U.S.A.). Printed in black and red on white linen.
Red silk lining. Name of priest for whom intended written by Bishop.

C. DRAWINGS OF MEDIEVAL RUSSIAN: ORTHODOX ANTIMENSIA
(FROM NIKOLSKIJ, ANTIMINS, INCLUDING ORDER AND
DATING)

AhTHMHHCI M BtKA.

n/L m.

* ;»< kj} tea nh kkhtfo di iK^r€(A>prHA> c4m7.tr vi
f*

HHJSk

Am*

M0
HO
JUA
TO

A* If A

f iih

M 0
Kr#
PO

v (9 •
MO
B €
At
N H

€r.H

en?
r

CTo

CICA
TO

I A

Hand-drawn, 1149 A.D.

vVi^C no? K^wcm Lk&mJ'. >

Hand-drawn, i486 A.D.

A-

UJfOA Tfgi/r? ^vt^/r ' ~0j<*o ho H^m

J ^ (OH >< • '

U IT^-tlH Hoj±\qo -Vv^Krt ^TTT^1^

! ■(.[

Jiun.H.Bpat CKSIbpoxotjx. d.M+yit.

Hand-drawn, 1186 A.D.

JLcX. c^.. 2 $6.

AtO ■

j'Aifiri
' W

^ >>. m

«n E

Hand-drawn, 1652 A.D.

ft TAtfAH'TO

5 3 ■

CP A*-

3 ' ' >; 3 L: 5 § $ J

- ^ZlWUJ \yULvy/ciH j?7%7 -V J

Hand-drawn, 1641 A.D.

s -r1- -Ae HM_ t M i

KH/cOrtfe*

"tranam ■w.<6t.i. C.lib II '°Okm 16/S l^t/anf .1pxu.\iiiiu)p Apuxiu

Hand-drawn, 1652 A D.

(V*'Tn fiiu ;
M Jiff tit* jr a

Br. ^ ^nff/i^ ^

nflKHAro oh* up* ko(-mko*iz kh9'§

H nfw aah m|j v no/mme m AtfApi^
a ftiyofo hub a rpM* H-BfAiw1

JHgW CUE report IJfW-

Hand-drawn, 1654 A D.

Jlr. I omft.S/M.

KUK CfTlAfOHM

f lf|f m»> Mrf t U,fl I. ( i/ K'/fH A II4^TTI0

4* n7.c

a ro D ft p H U Uf f \ ?LJ B M if* | r£ f w

/H(iJJ,H( A^&€nW H JM H£ A/if^fi. fifftHMf KIli.HC^

roDifepHJ.i ^ipf^4^ npMnA-nrpM igxii: ;a/Afkfff .v.

f K0 Hco °\ TO K HO (0 pO U,KO ^ K | ri ^no >u r{(lf

,ve m (if mW cm o^nif ttto* itb/hi * , , „'

i Urn CMS i ? litup* *if* '.Vi*7'» .ifxajuuJp . ipcmui.

Hand-drawn, 166S A.D.

Printed, 1627 A.D.

Ac 2

Printed, 1667 A.D.

■Jzuc S. om/i ///

Mim HAiufro IT*

mitm SKI]**

(tin )

(jjaonAvnit
Ml* BHti*

MEMt>^ ^««r /^HSf^H KOMI /4j^ltur. (TuJflA KH4CH £f n/ m M A PI f£ ^ «™ ^« * *u<U..f>j«H

Printed, 1664 A D.

Printed, 1669 A.D.

Wooden antimension in the shape of a bread-board conserved in the Museum attached
to the residence of the Serbian Orthodox Patriarch of Belgrade. The design and
inscription are drawn in black ink on white paper glued to the wooden board. Con-
secrated by Metropolitan Stephen on December 6, 1791. For full translation of in-
inscription, etc., vid above p. 34.

INDEX

Agnec (Agnetz) vid Amnos
Akoluthia 292 vid also Cin (Order)
Albanians vid Italo-Greek-Albanians

Aer {Vozdukh, large chalice & diskos veil), 39, 79, 89, 285, 286, 288, 290

Allatae Sunt (Papal Encyclical) 125, 155 ff, 165

Allation Tradition 64, 74, 83

Alexander, Metropolitan of Novgorod 130

Alexei (Simanski), Patriarch of Moscow 318, 319.

Alexios Aristenes 54

Aloes 22, 66, 67, 288 vid also Wax-mastic

Altar, ad modum fixi ("stable") 147, 154, 181, 311, 312

Altar, Byzantine 19, 25, 37, 100 ff, 207 ff ; damaged or moved 297

Altar cloths, use of

on Byzantine Altar 110-11,230 (vid also Katasarkion, Endytes)
with Byzantine antimension vid. Corporal ; eileton ; Hyphasmata ; not ne-
cessary 109

with Latin antimension 178, 183, 192, 208, 212, 217, 219, 222

on Prothesis 108 (vid also Prothesis)
Altar, fixed (immoveable 225 ff
Altar, Hebrew 13, 15, 18 ff
Altar, History of Christian 12 ff
Altars, Roman Rite, who can consecrate 57
Altars, metal 95, 110'
Altar, pagan 14 ff
Altar, Papal 162

Altar, portable 225 ff, vid also Antimension, portable; Antimensium Latinum ;

Petra Sacra
Altar, Roman Rite 225 ff
Altar, stable, vid Altar, ad modum fixi
Altars, wooden, vid Tablet ; wooden altar
Ambrosian (Milanese) Rite 39, 113, 162

23 J. M. Izzo - The Antimension

342

Amnos (Agnetz, Lamb) 38, 40, 310
Analogion {Analoj, lectern) 98, 285, 289
A ndimisi

as A. 24

as Corporal 25
Andrew Katkoff, M.I.C., Bishop ix, 42, 44, 320, 321

Andrew Sheptitsky, Metropolitan of Hallich, Archbishop of Lvov, Bishop of

Kamenech 325
Anointings, where made 71, 74, 76, 292
Antidoron (Blessed Bread) 288
Antimension (Byzantine)

as an historical document 99-100

as used in Byzantine Divine Liturgy 103 ff ; passim
burning of old 87, 88, 89, 94, 95-101, 230
confused with eileton or with corporal 25
container for carrying, vid container
consecration of

by a Priest 56-62, 229

outside consecration of fixed Altar 62, 63, 64, 65, 73, 84, 229, 277-284
cut from cloths used to wipe altar 62, 69 ff 70
cut into pieces 84 ff, 93, 205
definition of 14, 23 ff
dimensions of 33 ff, 104, 307
equivalent to an Altar 12, 58, 105 ff
essence of consecration of 49, 51
etymology of name 23-25
fixed 50, 94 ff, 103, 114, 128
folding of 36, 112 ff

forbidden to Roman Rite Priests, vid Canon 823 (CIC)
kept spread out under Altar cloths 114 ff
Liturgy "invalid" without 123-124
mailed 59

moveable (portable) 50, 78, 95, 103 ff, 113, 115, 128, 229-230, inscription

specifying 104, 137, 321
nailed or sewn to altar 103, 114 also vid a., fixed

names of vid. Greek Corpral ; katheriosis ; throne ; thysiasterion, "Veil
with Relics"

necessary fo Divine Liturgy 42, 117, 123-124, passim
"not a consecrated altar" VII
not to be used on Prothesis 108

343

"not used by a Bishop" 128
orthography of 23-25
photographs and drawings 308 ff
portable vid moveable
practicality of 59, 80
sewing of, vid sewing
sewn to altar cloths vid A., fixed
shape of 35 ff

substitutes for altar 24 ff., 105, 116 ff, 230, passim

supplies for consecration of place 3, 47, 55, 105, 131, 208, 230, passim
Symbolism of 232
symbolism of folding 112
thrown into sea 100

used as corporal 12, 78, 81, 115, 230 vid also A. used on consecrated altar
used as portable altar, vid A., moveable
used outside Diocese (Eparchy) 59, 127, 135

used on consecrated altar 50 ff, noff, 118, 315, 316; vid also A., used as
corporal

used to hallow (consecrate) Church, vid Consecration of Church by a Priest

violation of 80 ff

washing of 49, 85-94, 205

when torn or worn vid torn ; worn

wooden Antimension 34, 340 ; vid also wooden altars.

vid also Eileton

Antimensium Latinum (Roman Rite Antimensium) 1, 3, 109, 136, 141, 162,
169 ff., 171, 173 ff, 231
blessing of 197 ff, 302
color of 191

etymology of name 184 ff
and Petra Sacra 210— 211
photograph of 313
sewing of 205, 303

use of altar cloths and corporal with vid Altar cloths ; Corporal

washing of 202, 205, 303, 313

where Relics placed 209
Antitnins vid Antimension (Byzantine)
Antony, Bishop of Smolensk & Dorbush 317
Apostol (Epistle, Epistolary) 41

Apostolic Continuity & A. 3, 58, 120, 123, 152, 230

Apron (Savanon, Zapon, Lention, Sracica) 68, 71, 75, 277, 285, 286, 289, 291, 294

344

Apse 107-108
Arabic 24, 323

Archieratikon {Pontificate) vid Euchologion

Archimandrite 129, 213

Archon ton Ekklesion 65

Archpriest 129, 293

Arcosolium 17

Armenian Rite 19, 162

Artoklasia (Litija) 285

Artophorion {Darokhranitelnica, Tabernacle) 36, 111, 122, 285, 288

Aspergil 167, 288, 289, 290

Asteriskos {Svjezica, "Star") 108, 285, 294

Athenagoras I, Patriarch of Constantinople 43

Attar of Roses, vid Rose essence

Authenticity of Relics, vid Relics, Authentication of

Bag or pocket for relics

Byzantine antimension 19, 52, 65, 71, 74, 84, 93, 95, 96, 318, 319, 320, 323

Roman antimensium 196, 202, 203, 277, 283, 302, 313
Balsamon, Theodore, vid Theodore Balsamon
Baptism and necessity of A., vid Initiation, Christian
Baptism and Consecration of A. compared, vid Initiation, Christian
"Basilians" 140
Bebelon (profaned) 91
Beeswax 19, 66 vid. Wax-mastic
Bells 290, 295

Bema (Sanctuary, tribune) 143, 294, 295
Bibliography 235-270
Biographical note 271-272
bi-ritual clergy 140, 216

Bjelorussia (White Russia, Byelorussia) 127, 157 ff

Blastares vid Matthew Blastares

Blessing, Altar as source of 75, 78-79

Blessings, "reserved", in Roman Rite 114, 198 ff, 208

Boat, celebration of Divine Liturgy on 106, 132, 136, 212, 217

Bogorodica vid Theotokos

Braga (Portugal), Rite of 162

Brest-Litovsk, Union of 157

Broken Altar Stone 163-164, 217

brush or rod to apply Holy Myron (Chrism) 66, 76, 277, 280, 285

345

Bulgarians 62, 114, 122
Burial of A. 100

Burning of old A., vid A., burning of
Burse 114, 142, 211
Byelorussia vid Bjelorussia

Caeremoniale Romano-Seraphicum 192
Calcutta 178
Canon 1 (CIC) 162
Canon 15 (CIC) 215
Canon 20 (CIC) 194

Canon 823 (CIC) 2, 3-4, 105, 1472, 155, 161 ff, 165, 167s, 183 ff, 230, 231 ;

"abolished" 165
Canon 1147 (CIC) 198
Canon 1148 (CIC) 199-200, 204
Canon 1198 (CIC) 192
Canon 1283 (CIC) 194
Canon 1305 (CIC) 204
Carmelite Rite 162
Carthusian Rite 162
Catherine the Great, Empress 317

Catholics, Byzantine Rite vii, viii, 1, 2, 3, 8, 37, 42, 52, 53, 76, 97, 106, in, 113,

114, 115, 116, 122, 123, 125, 139, 150 ff, 228, 229, 315, 319, 321, passim
Catholic Near East Welfare Association 168 ff, 220 ff
Celebret, A. as 3, 58, 120, 135, 152
Ceromasticum vid wax-mastic
Chalcedon 117
Chaldean Rite 19, 25, 162
Chalice veils vid A er ; Kalymma

Chaplains, Military 27, 106-107, I27» I3I» I7^» 221 ^» 23I» 29&> 325

Charts 233, 307

Chorbishop 132

Chrism vid Myron, Holy

Chrismation, Holy Mystery of (Sacrament of Confirmation) vid Initiation,

Christian
Cin 85, 87 ; vid also Euchologion
Cinovnik vid Euchologion ; Pontificate
Cistercian Rite 162

Cleri Sanctitati (Motu Proprio, C1CO De Personis) 60
Cloths sewn to A. vid Hyphasmata

346

cloths used to wipe Altar, A. made from 62, 69, 84

Coat of arms 42, 319, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327

Codex Rubricarum 109, 185, 192, 197, 200, 207

Collectio Rituum (Roman Ritual partially in English) 197

colors, liturgical in

colors of A. 46, 307, 317 ff

Communicatio in sacris 120, 125, 152, 161

Confirmation, Sacrament of vid Initiation, Christian

Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) 140

Consecration of A. by a Priest 55 ff, 198 ff, 229-230

Consecration of a Church by a Priest 63, 128-131, 285-297

Consecrations, who may perform in Roman Rite 198

Constantine Cabasilas, Metropolitan of Dyrrachium (Durazzo) 50, 79

Costantine V, Emperor 117

Container for A. 96, 98, 109-110, 114, 142, 144, 162, 211

Coptic Rite 137, 162, 315

Corporal

Byzantine A. used as 12, 25, 36, 91, 96, 109, in, 112, 114 ff, 125, 153, 154,

191, 230, 233; vid also eileton
Roman Corporal 36, in, 112, 114, 115, 126, 153, 156, 177, 178, 179, 180,
181, 188 ff, 191 ff, 197, 200, 207 ff, 225 ff, 230, 233
to be used with byzantine A. 109, 168, 179, 230, 233
to be used with Antimensium Latinum 109, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181.
207 ff, 217, 233
"Corporal, Greek" vid "Greek Corporal"
Corpus Iuris Canonici 188
cotton 189

Council of Carthage 46
Council fo Chalcedon 86
Council of Florence 153
Cross, Hand vid Hand Cross
Cross, hollow 96

Cross, Sign of 38, 41, 46, 98, no, III, 113, 203, 280, 286, 291, 292, 293, 295, 296,

312, 314, passim.
Cum Admotae (Pontifical Rescript) 137 ff, 212, 2i6ff
Cutting A. vid dividing

Cyprian (Kiprian), Metropolitan of Moscow 85

Darokranitelnica vid Artophorion (Tabernacle)
Deacon 98, 107, 141, 142

347

Decennial Faculties 179 ff, 186, 187 ft, 201, 210, 219, 231
Decretum Gratiani 188, 189
Desecration vid Loss of Usefulness
Diakonikon (Sacristy) 92, 143

Dignitary who prepares A. vid Archon ton Ekklesion
Dionysios (Denis), St. 77

Diskos (Diskarion, Paten) 36, 53, 112, 281, 282, 285, 286, 287, 288, 289, 294,
295. 3io

Distinction between Consecrations and Blessings

in Byzantine Rite 78-79, 128

in Roman Rite 199
Dividing (cutting) A. 42, 83, 85
Divine Liturgy, "invalid" without A. 123 ff
Divine Liturgy, requirements for 105 ff.
Divisions of Byzantine Rite 4
Domestic Oratory vid Prayer House
Dominican Rite 162

Domus Ecclesiae 13, 16, 27 vid also Prayer House

Eileton (Iliton) 11, 23, 25, 37, 39, 84, 87, 97, 98, no, in, 112, 114, 115, 116,
117, 123, 142, 144, 169, 229, 285, 288, 308, 309, 318 ff ; sewn to A. 37, 84,
169, 323 ; blessing of 112

Endytes (Inditija, upper Altar Cloth) 89, 90, in, 277, 285, 286, 288, 290, 294

Enkainia (Dedication) 58, (63), (73)

"Enthronement" of A. 94-95, 120, 129, 131, 212, 213, 287

Emperor 120, 127, 131, 132, 133, 143

Eparch, Eparchy (Diocese) 99, 127, 133, 150, 157

Epimanika (Cuffs) 98

Epistolary vid Apostol

Epitaphios (Plaicanica, Shroud) 39, 43, 45
Ethiopian Rite 20, 64, 137, 162, 316

Etsi Pastoralis (Apostolic Constitution) 25, 124, 126, 148, 153, 155, 164
Eucarist, Holy, vid Divine Liturgy ; Initiation, Christian ; Seven Days cele-
bration

Euchologion (Cinovnik, Pontifical) 49, 54, 56, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 72, 73, 75, 76,

77. 83, 94, 112, 121, 130, 131, 284, 292, 296, 297
Euphemia, St. 117
Eusebius of Caesarea 106
Evangelists, Symbols of, vid Hyphasmata

Exarch, Exarchate (similar to Vicariate Apostolic) 120, 132

348

Extra loca sacra, celebration ("outside a sacred place") 106, 128 ff, 131 ft, 137 ff,

212, 221, 228
Fasting 287, 297

Fixed (immoveable) A. vid A., fixed
Folding

Byzantine A. 36, 112 ff ; Symbolism of 112

Roman Corporal 112, 192
Fontes Cognoscendi of Byzantine Canon Law 6, 7, 9
Forties Existendi of Byzantine Canon Law 6, 7, 9
Franciscans vid Order of Friars Minor
Frankincense (olibanum) vid incense

Gallican Rite 71-72

Geez (Ethiopian Liturgical language) 316

Generals 143

Georgia, Georgians 114

Germanos, St., Patriarch of Constantinople 39

Gospel Book (Evangelary, on altar) 94, 111, 112, 113, 285, 288, 289, 290, 294,
309-310

graphemenou (signed) 69 vid also signature of Bishop

Great Entrance (Megale Eisodos, Veliki j Vkhod) 45, 107, 112, 310

"Greek Corporal" 25, 147

Greek- Venetian Tradition 64

Greece, Greek viii, 41, 65, 85, 91, 94, 96, 97, 100, 101, 113, 114, 115, 120, 123,

126, 130, 131, 143, 150 ff, 321, 323, passim
Gregorian Water 202
Haghia (holy, holy things) 78, 79
Haghiasmou metadotika 78, 79
Halic (Halich) 325

Hand-Cross (on Altar) 36, 111, 285, 287, 288, 289, 290, 291, 294, 296

Heghiasmena (blessed objects) 78, 79

Hegumenos (Igumen, Abbot) 129, 140, 293

Hemp 177 ff, 217, 219, 231

Hermits 15, 127, 131

Hiera (sacred objects) 78, 79

Hieromena (consecrated objects) 78, 79

Hieromonachos vid Priest-Monk

Holy Office, Sacred Congregation of 155, 161

Holy Water 73, 84, 202, 203, 204, 229, 286, 287, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295,
296, 302 ; vid also Gregorian Water

349

House, celebration of Divine Liturgy in 106 ; vid also Extra loca sacra
Hyphasmata 36-37, 40, 71, 111, 321
Hypodeacon (Poddiakon, Subdeacon) 142, 143

Icon vid ikon

Iconoclasts 29-30, 46 ff, 86, 105, 107, 117, 118, 150

Ikon (icon, eikon) 29, 38 ff, 65, 79, 98, 107, 133, 285 ff, 321, 322

Ikon corner 98

Ikonostasis (iconostasis, iconostas) 95
Iliton vid eileton

Imposito Nobis (Apostolic Constitution) 124-125, 126, 127, 155 ff, 164, 165
Incense (Frankincense, olibanum, livani, ladan) 20, 66, 67, 84, 288, passim ; vid

also Wac-mastic
Incensation 282, 295, 312
Inditija vid Endytes
Indults, particular 222 ff

Indult for Roman Rite cleric to use A. 167 ff., 300, 301

Initiation, Christian

A. necessary for 47-48, 71-72, 106, 120, 132, 229, 293
compared to consecration of Church and A. 71 ff, 229, 293

Institutio Generalis Missale Romanum 225

Instructio ad Exsecutionem Constitutionis de Sacra Liturgia Recte Ordinandam
(1964) 198

Instructio altera ad Exsecutionem Constitutionibus de Sacra Liturgia Recte Or-

diandam (1967) 193
Inter Multos (Apostolic Constitution) 148

Inter-ritual use of Antimensia and Roman altars 1545., passim; vid Canon
823 (CIC)

"Invalidity" of Liturgy without A. 123-124
Irkutsk 104

Isadore Pelusiota, St. 39

Italo-Greeks vid I talo-Greek- Albanians

Italo-Greek-Albanians 52, 96, 99, 101, 124, 125, 126, 149 ff, 161 ff, 230

Jacobites 28, 49
Jeromonakh vid Priest-Monk
Jesuits vid Society of Jesus
Joachim Patriarch of Moscow 293
Joasaph, Patriarch of Moscow 85
John Bucko, Archbishop 325, 326

350

John Chrysostom, St. 86

John of Kitros (Macedonia), Archbishop 32, 48, 50, 59, 63, 69, 70, 79, 107,
119

Joseph of Arimathea 40, 45

Joseph Cardinal Slipij, Major Archbishop 327

Joseph, Patriarch of Moscow 97

Jugoslavia (Yugoslavia) 35, 41, 58 vid also Serbia

Juvenali, Bishop 318

Juvenali, Priest-Monk (Studite) 326, 327
Jona, Metroplitan of Rostov & Jaroslav 97

Kalymma (Pokrov, small Diskos & Chalice vails) 79, 89, 122, 277, 281, 285, 288,

290, 294
Kamenec 325
Karlovici 34

Katapetasma {Zavjesa, Curtain) 285, 289

Katasarkion (Priplotije, Sradica, under altar cloth) 89, 90, 97, 103, 104, 110-111,

114, 285, 286, 288, 290, 293, 294
Kathierosis {OsvjaZcenije, Consecration) 25, 55, 63, 87
Kathierothesia (consecrated bojects) 78, 79
Keromastike vid wax-mastic
Kiev, Metropolitanate of 157
Kiprian vid Cyprian
Klucar (lay Sacristan) 65, 277

Ladanum, Labdanum 19, 20 vid also Wax-mastic
Laity and A. 59, 65, 128, 141-144, 212, 230
Lance

Liturgical 79, in, 285, 288, 290
represented on A. 38
Laodicea, Council of 143

Lateran, Archbasilica of St. John (wooden) Papal Altar in 105, 155-156, 314

Latin American, Decennial Faculties for 179, 219 ff.

Latin Antimensium vid Antimensium Latinum

• 'Latinisms", "Latinization" 90, in, 114-116, 150 ff

Latin Rite Liturgy, vid Roman Rite Liturgy

Leiturgikon, Liturgikon vid Slulebnik (Missal)

Lention

as a purificator 11 1

35i

as a towel or apron 68

vid also apron
Leo the Philosopher, Emperor 47
Leo III the Isaurian, Emperor 150

Leopold II, King of Hungary & H. Roman Emperor 34
Liber Pontificalis 188-189
Linen, Symbolism of 34, 188

used for Byzantine A. 35, 81, 84, 105, 106, 127, 135, 229, 307, 322, 324,
325, 326, 327, 328

used for Antimensium Latinum 165, 175, 1873, 217, 219, 231
Lining (Eileton) sewn on A. 37, 84, 169, 323
Linteum 187 fif
Lithuania 157

"Little Consecration" of a Church 292 vid also Consecration of Church by a

Priest
Livani vid Incense

Loss of Usefulness of A. 80 ff, 204 ff, 230
Louis the Pious, Emperor 29
Lucian, St. (Priest & Martyr) 15
Lvov (Lviv, Lwow, Leopolis) 325
Lvov, Synod of 114
Lyons, Rite of 162

Makarevid, I. 325

Makarios, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch 85
Malabarese Rite 25, 162
Malankarese Rite 162

Manuel Charitoupolis, Patriarch of Constantinople 32, 42, 47, 62, 69, 105, 107.

118, 119, 131
Marble dust 19, 66, 67, 84; vid also Wax-mastic
Marcian, St. 28, 31
Maronite Rite 61, 162

Martyrs, Sacred Relics of vid Relics, Sacred

Mastic (gum) 19, 66, 67, 288 ; vid also Wax-mastic

Matthew Blastares 32, 46, 48, 54, 59, 69, 70, 71, 91, 108, 119, 129

Matthew, Patriarch of Constantinople 32, 120, 121, 131

Maximos IV (Saygh), Patriarch of Antioch, etc., Cardinal, 42, 323

Melkites 42, 52, 94, 112, 113, 114, 121, 122, 323

Mensa (Altar Table) 13 ff, 24, 49, 52, 73, 74, 154, 225 ff, 229, 286, 291, 292,
293. 312, 314

352

Mensa-Domini tradition 12 fT, 182
Metochia 51
Mexico 175 ff

Michael II Balbos, Emperor 29

Military Ordinariate vid Chaplain, Military

Missal, Byzantine vid Sluiebnik

Missale Romanum 53, 90, 193, 225-227 ; vid also Ordo Missae
Missions, Missionaries 177 ff., 217 ff, 231, 302
Molitvennykh Dom vid Prayer-House
Monastic Rites, Western 162
Monophysites, Syrian 28, 49, 132

Morality 82, 87, 92 ff, 108-109, 123, 200, 208, 219-220
Mozaribic Rite (Toledo) 162

Myron (Chrism), Holy 20, 49, 56, 57, 59, 62, 66, 69, 70, 71, 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 84,

93, 151-152, 199, 203-204, 229, 277, 280, 283, 285, 286, 292-294, 312

anointing of Relics with 71, 74-75, 76, 283

application by Priest 56 (199), 292-294

applied with brush or rod 277, 280, 285

composition of 66, 151-152
Myrrh 20, 66, 67 ; vid also Wax-mastic

Naples 150
Naukratios 28-29
Nestorians 132

Nicea, Second Council of 30 ff, 46 ff, 49, 54, 116, 130, 131, 227-228

Nicephoros I the Confessor, St., Patriarch of Constantinople 31, 48, 49, 59, 81,

85 ff, 106, 107, 133, 275-276
Nicephoros II, Patriarch of Constantinople 86
Nicholas Cabasilas, Metropolitan of Thessalonica (Saloniki) 71
Nicholas T. Elko, Bishop of Pittsburgh 327
Nikaphorion 38

Nikon Metropolitan of Moscow 95, 97, 118, 120

Nilos (Nilus, Nil) Kerameos, Patriarch of Constantinople 32, 59, 107, 127, 131
Nomocanon 88
Normans 150
Novgorod 85
Nuns 141, 202

Oikos Eycheterios vid Prayer-House
Oinathe 67 ; vid also Wine

353

Olibanum vid Incense
Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) 140
Ordo Missae (1969) 90, 164, 207-208, 225-226
Oriental Christians and CIC 9, 162

Orientalium Ecclesiarum (Vatican II Decree) 124, 148, 161
Orlec (Eagle Rug of Bishop) 278

Orthodox vii, viii, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 37, 43, 53, 73-73, 81, 82, 83, 85, 97, 106, 114,

115, 122, 142, 150 ff, 157, 229, 317 ff, passim
Osvjascenije vid Kathierosis
Othonion (Linen Sheet, Shroud) 189

Paisios, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria 85, 292

Paisios (Pantaleon) Ligerides 97

Panteleimon, St., Monastery of 41

paper antimensia 34

Paraekklesiarch vid Sacristan

Paratrapezion 108 ; vid also Prothesis

Parecclesia (Parekklesia) 95

Pastorale Munus (Motu Proprio) 2, 135 If, 180, 190, 200, 212 ff, 231
Patriarchs 43, 59 ff, 64, 66, 83, 85, 99, 120, 127, 151, 153
Paul (Pavel), Metropolitan of Kaluga 97
Peculiare I us {Motu Proprio) 162

Pedalion (Rudder) 53, 54, 56, 85, 86, 89, 100, 130, 143
Peter Bucis, Bishop 319
Peter the Great, Tzar 43, 292

Petra Sacra (Roman portable Altar Stone) 2, 12, 19, 23, 34, 76, 80, 104, 109, 117,
118, 125, 126, 129, 134, 136, 137, 138, 147-148, 152, 153, 154, 157, 159,
163-164, 167, 168, 169-171, 173, 175 ff., 190, 192 ff, 194, 200, 203, 208-
220, 225, 227, 229, 231, 233, 298, 300, 301, 311, 312
and Antimensium Latinum 2 10-2 11
photographs of 311, 312

Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow 43, 44, 88, 90

Phillipine Islands, Decennial Faculties for 179, 219 ff

Pimen (Izebekov) Metropolitan of Kruticij & Kolomna (present Pat. of Mo-
scow) 318

Pistacia Lentiscus 19, 66 vid also Wax-mastic
Pod-diakon vid Hypodeacon
Pokrov vid Kalymma
Poland 155

Pontificate, Byzantine vid Euchologion

354

Pontificate Romanum 185, 186, 190, 194, 195, 202, 203-204, 226

Portable Altar vii, 2, 12, 19, 23, 27 ff, 33 ff, 55, passim ; vid also A., Portable ;

Antimensium Latinum ; Petra Sacra
Portable Altar, Byzantine Antimension as vid A., moveable
Portable Altar, Privelege (indult) of 120, 131 ff, 134, 212, 214, 221
Prayer-House 47 ff., 77, 128, 131
Premonstratensian (Norbertine) Rite 162
Prestol vid Table, Holy

Priest-monk (Hieromonachos, Jeromonakh) 139 ff, 230, 326, 327
Printed A. 41 ff, 309 ff
Priplotie vid Katasarkion

Proskomedia (Proskomide) 108 ; vid also Prothesis
Prosphora (Altar Breads) 38, 289

Prothesis, Table (altar) of 19, 95, 107, 108, 109, 113, 122, 127, 285, 286, 288,
290, 294

Protohegumenos (as Provincial) 140
Protohiereus vid Arch-Priest
Protojerej vid Arch-Priest
Protopappas vid Arch-Priest
Protopresviter vid Arch-Priest
Psalomsciki (Minor Clerics) 289
Pskov 85

Redemptorists vid Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer

Relics of the Saints, Holy 3, 12, 16 ff, 27, 30-32, 466, 48, 53, 54, 71, 74, 76,

77, 78, 80, 84, 90-91, 93, 95-96, 99, 100, 101, 103, 105, 106, 117, 136, 154,

165, 169, 177 ff, 183, 193 ff, 197, 202, 203, 205, 209, 217, 219, 226 ff, 228 ff,

277 ff, 281, 283, 2855, 292, 298, 302, 310, 311, 313, 315, 316, passim
Relics, anointing with Sacred Myron, vid Myron, Holy
Relics, authentication of 65, 169, 177 ff, 298, 302, 314

Document of authentication 196, 202

Who competent to authenticate 195-196
Relics, position of in Antimension ; Byzantine 52-53, 71 ; Roman 177, 196,

202, 209
Replacing A.

ceremony for 94-95

occasions for 94-95
Rhodostamos vid Rose-water
Ripidia (Liturgical Fans, Flabella) 281

Ritual vid Euchologion ; Rituale Romanum ; Roman Ritual ; Trebnik

355

Rituale Romanum 176, 186, 187, 195, 197 ff, 200, 201, 202, 204
Rockrose (Cistus) vid Ladanum
Rodostama vid Rose Water
Romania 41, 94

Roman (Latin) Rite Liturgy 113, 114, 117, 162, 192 ; vid also Missale Romanum;

Ordo Missae ; Rituale Romanum
Roman Rite Antimensium vid Antimensium Latinum
Romanos, Metropolitan of Dyrrachium (Durazzo) 69, 118
Roman Ritual (in English) 197, 302 ; vid also Collectio Rituum
Rose Essence (Attar of Roses) 66, 67 ; vid also Wax-mastic

Rose Water (Rhodostamos, Rodostama) 49, (62), 67, 74, 76, 109, 277, 280, 285,

286, 288, 290, 291, 292, 295

substitutes for 67, 277

symbolism of 290
Rubricarum Instructio (Motu Proprio) vid Codex Rubricarum
Russia, Russian viii, 41, 65, 67, 72, 73, 81, 82, 85, 94, 96, 97, 98, 99, 101, 104,

106, 108, no, 113, 114, 122, 123, 127, 128, 130, 142, 317 ft
Ruthenians 42, 65, 73, 108, 113, 114-115, 124, 156 ff, 159, 327 ; vid also Ukrainians

Sacramentary vid Ordo Missae
Sacraments of Initiation, vid Initiation, Christian
Sacrarium, Byzantine vid Thalassidion
Sacrarium, Roman 90

Sacred Congregation of the Consistory 178, 212, 219
Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office ; vid Holy Office
Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches 127, 212

Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (for the Evangelization
of the Peoples) 155, 179, 180, 189, 212, 217, 219
Sacred Congregation for Religious 212, 219

Sacred, Congregation of Rites (for Divine Worship) 198, 205, 226, 227

Sacristan,

lay vid Kludar

Priest (Paraekklesiarch) 98

vid also Archon ton Ekklesion
Sacristy vid Diakonikon
Sanctuary vid Bema

Sanctissimus (Instruction) 125, 153 ff, 155
Savanon (apron) 68 ; vid also Apron
Sealing wax 196, 202, 314
Sepulcher of Petra Sacra 80, 311, 312

356

Serbians 34, 96, 99-100, 340 ; vid also Jugoslavia

Seven days, celebration of Divine Liturgy on A. for for 69, 75, 76 (78), 119,
284, 287, 296

Sewing of A. after consecration of 65, 83, 84, 94, 100-101, 103, 114, 283 ; A. sewn

or nailed to Altar cloths or Altar 103, 114
Shroud vid Epitaphios ; Othonion

Signature of Bishop on A. 42-44, 62, 68-69, 75~76, 84, 93, 309 ff.
Silk A. 35, 81, 188-189, 229, 307, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321, 326, 328
Sinaitic Tradition 64, 67, 74

Sindon (Shroud) 58-59, 189 ; vid also Epitaphios, Othonion, Shroud, Super
Sindonem

Slulebnik (Leiturgikon, Byzantine Missal) 81, 82, 89, 90, 108, 113, 114, 116,

122, 289
Smyrna (Myrrh) 66
Soap & Water 73, 286, 291
Sobor (Cathedral) 97
Society of Jesus (Jesuits) 140

Soiled A. 81, 82, 83, 101, 230 ; vid also Loss of Usefulness ; Washing of A.
Source of Consecration of A. 54, 69-70, 75
Sozomen 106
Sponge

image printed on A. 38

kept in chalice 291

kept in folded A. 94, 112, 87, 94, 285, 288, 310, 318

used to wash & dry altar, distributed as souvenirs 68, 74, 79, 287

Spoon, Liturgical Communion 79, 111, 285, 288, 290

Sracica

as altar cloth vid Katasarkion

as apron 68 ; vid also apron
Stephen, Stratomirovic, Metropolitan of Karlovici, Valacho, etc. 34
Stipites (columns supporting mensa) 52, 73, 74, 291
Stole, Priestly (Epitrachelion) 98
Stripping Altar 75
Studites 140, 326, 327
Subdeacon vid Hypodeacon

Sub Dio (open air), Celebrating Divine Liturgy 109, 140, 217
Substratum Commune of Byzantine Canon Law 4-6
Super Sindonem, Ovatio 39

Symeon Archbishop of Thessalonica (Saloniki), St. 32, 34, 39, 48, 52, 56, 57,
63, 64, 67, 70, 71, 75, 77, 78, 89, 105, 106, 116, 130, 132, 134, 142

357

Synaxis (Monastic Council) 140
Synod of Carthage 56

Synod of Moscow, Holy Ruling 43, 97, 98
Syntagma Alphabeticum vid Matthew Blastares
Syracuse 150

Syrians 25, 28, 49, 61, 137, 162, 315

Table, Holy (Haghia Trapeza, Prestol, Altar of Sacrifice) 19, 43, 45, 95, 107, 113
Tablet (tablith, tabot, Wooden Altar Tablet) 20, 25, 28-32, 33-34, 61, 105, 125,

127, 137 (155, 156), 314-316; vid also Wooden Altars
Thalassa, Thalassidion (Sacrarium) 87-88, 230
Tarasios, St., Patriarch of Constantinople 86
Teplota (Zeon, Hot WTater Cup) 89, 90, 288

Theodore Balsamon 32, 46, 47, 49, 54, 62, 105, 107, 129, 130, 132, 133
Theodore Studite, St. 28, 31, 33, 105
Theodoret of Cyrus, Bishop 15
Theodoret of Syracuse, Bishop 28
Theophilos, Emperor 29

Theotokos, (Bogorodica ; Mary, Mother of God) Ikon of 40, 285, 287, 289, 296,
302, 309 ft

Throne (A., Holy Table) 25, 39, 126, 153 ff ; vid also Table, Holy
Tkysiasterion (A.) 19, 29, 105, 315, 321
Timofei (Timothy), Metropolitan of Moscow & Siezsk 317
Tonkin 163

Trebnik (Ritual) 64, 68, 72, 73, 97, 111, 119, 120, 129, 289, 292, 293, 294, 295,

296, 297
Tribadion 13

Troparion (tropar) 43, 45, 281-282, 287, 294, 295
Trullo, Council of 133
Typikon 64, 75, 11 1

of the Great Church 64

of St. Sabbas 64

vid also Ustav

Ukraine, Ukrainian viii, (27), 42, 65, 72, 73, 76, 113, 114-115, (127), 140, 157,

325, 326, 327
Ustav 75, 284 ; vid also Typikon

"Veil with Relics" (A.) 147, 169-171, 175-179, 197
Venice 64, 151 ; vid also Venetian Tradition

358

Vicar Delegate 201

Vicar General 201

Vicariate of Rome 4, 193, 313

Vicenza 189

Vladimir 290, 295

Violation of A. 80 ft, 297 ; vid also Loss of Usefullness
Voskomastik vid Wax-mastic
Vozdukh vid Aer

Washing of A., vid A., washing of
Water, Holy vid Holy Water
Wax (Beeswax) vid Wax-mastic
Wax, Sealing vid Sealing wax

Wax-mastic [Keromastike, Voskomastik, Ceromasticum) 19, 20, 52, 66, 67, 74-75,
76, 84, 93, 277, 283, 285, 286, 288, 289, 290, 291, 320
ingredients of 19, 52, 66-67, 288
preparation of 66, 290
Symbolism of 20, 67

use of 20, 52, 66, 74-75, 76, 93, 283, 286, 291
White Russia vid Bjelorussia
Willibald, St. 28
Wine

Eucharistic (Precious Blood), spilling of 88-90, 204

used at cons, of A. & Altar 62, 67, 69, 71, 285, 286, 288, 290, 291, 292

Wooden Altars 12-16, 20, 25, 28-32, 32-34, 61, 73, no, 127, 154, 155-156, 181,
291, 314-316 ; vid also Lateran, Archbasilica of ; Tablet

Wooden Antimension 34, 340 ; vid also wooden altars

Worn A. 81, 82, 83, 230, 303 vid also Loss of Usefulness

Yugoslavia vid Jugoslavia

Zamosc, Synod of 114, 115

Zapon (apron) 68, 71 vid Apron

Zavjesa vid Katapetasma

tertvennik vid Prothesis, Table (altar) of

FINITO DI STAMPARE IL 2 OTTOBRE 1975
PRESSO LA TIPOGRAFIA PORZIUNCOLA
SANTA MARIA DEGLI AN GEL I - ASSIST

Internet Archive Audio

Featured

Top

Images

Featured

Top

Software

Featured

Top

Texts

Featured

Top

Video

Featured

Top

Mobile Apps

Browser Extensions

Archive-It Subscription

Save Page Now

Full text of "The antimension in the liturgical and canonical tradition of the Byzantine and Latin churches : an inter-ritual inter-confessional study"

See other formats